Ingredients
4chicken thighs,boneless, skinless or 2 chicken breasts, halved to make 4 thinner fillets
pinchpinch of salt,to taste
4tbspgarlic and herb-flavored tomato paste,or flavour of choice
2tspparsley,dried
2tspgarlic powder
1tspsalt,divided
8mozzarella cheese,thin slices, divided
1egg
1tspgarlic powder
¼cupbreadcrumbs
¼cuppanko breadcrumbs
1tspbasil,dried
2tbspparmesan cheese,grated
2tspolive oil
1bottlepasta sauce,or marinara sauce
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly pound the fillets between two pieces of plastic wrap to ¼-inch thickness using a mallet. Pat chicken dry and season with salt.
Spread 1 tablespoon of tomato paste over one side of each fillet. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Place one slice of mozzarella onto each half of a fillet, roll (starting from the cheese end) and place seam side down. Seal with a toothpick if needed.
In a shallow medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg, garlic powder, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt together. Set aside.
In another shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, panko, basil, and parmesan cheese.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or oven-proof frying pan) over medium heat. Evenly coat the rolled chicken fillets into the egg mixture, then dip into the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the chicken, seam side down, into the preheated skillet or pan, and cook on each side for 4 to 5 minutes until the coating is golden brown, and the cheese on the inside has melted.
Reduce heat to low and pour in the pasta sauce. Move the chicken around with tongs so the sauce is evenly covered over the base of the pan. Allow to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Pour some sauce from the pan over each chicken. Place the skillet r pan in the oven to cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Top each chicken roll with remaining cheese slices, then return to the oven and allow to grill or broil on medium heat until cheese has melted over the top.
Garnish with extra dried parsley and Italian herbs. Serve warm over pasta, or mashed potatoes, or with a salad.
