Admittedly, I have expensive taste. When I, inevitably, become rich and famous, that won’t be a problem. I’ll have closets brimming with furs and garages overflowing with cars. Until this happens though, I have to make do with my rather meager budget, which generally entails making the money I earned over vacation last through the following semester. Consequentially, my expensive taste has often gone unsatisfied.
However, it no longer has to. My mother has been kind enough to share with me a recipe that leaves my high class appetite just as happy as my minimum wage wallet. This poor man’s chicken parmesan has done wonders for me, and I want to share that experience with you all. While it may not look too much like the dish you’d order at a fancy Italian restaurant, the flavors and filling are all there.
There are four ingredients you’ll want to get while you’re out and about: chicken patties, cheese, tomato sauce, and bread. A bag of ten breaded Tyson chicken patties will normally run you about $6, but Tyson products are frequently on sale, so snatch them and stock up then.
You have many options with cheese - parmesan (the dish’s namesake cheese) and mozzarella are both delicious choices - that can be bought for approximately $2.99 for an eight ounce bag. Tomato sauce can typically be found for $1.79 per jar. With both the cheese and the sauce, I recommend going with the store brand unless there’s a sale going on. That’ll save you more money without the expense of flavor. As for bread, you can use just about anything - my personal favorites are bagels and French bread. Go with what you like best and make the dish your own!
Preparation is pretty simple. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and microwave your chicken patty to make sure it isn’t frozen. Put your bread of choice on a pan, coat it with sauce and place the patty on it. Then put more sauce and cheese on top. Go ahead and pop your tasty treat into the oven for ten to twelve minutes. Once it cools, you’ll have a delicious dish worthy of your taste buds. Enjoy!
