Chicken Fingers Italiano/PublixFlavorExcursion2015

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I have been a self titled aficionado of the chicken finger for quite some time. As a matter of fact, while most of my friends were craving ice cream or chocolate when they were pregnant, I craved chicken fingers. And not just any chicken fingers, but the kind served in bars, where they are deep fried and come with ranch and french fries. Fast forward almost 27 years, and my eating habits have improved, and these Chicken Fingers Italiano are what you will find on my kitchen table today!

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

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I love Italian food, so when I was assigned the blog, Cookin' with Moxie, for this months Secret Recipe Club, I was thrilled. Cookin' with Moxie is a wonderful blog written by Jamie, whose blog is stuffed as full as these pasta shells of delicious sounding and beautiful looking foods. What to make was a difficult decision, but I finally decided on Jamie's 4 Cheese Stuffed Shells. They were so delicious, and cheesy and just yum!!

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 pound Jumbo Pasta Shells

30 oz. Ricotta Cheese

2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Provolone Cheese

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Egg

2 tablespoon minced, flat leaf Parsley

2 tablespoon chopped, fresh Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 cups Marinara Sauce, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta.

Cook the shells until soft but not cooked through

(about 1/2 the cooking time on the box)

Drain pasta and set aside until the filling is ready.

Place the ricotta in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Add the provolone.

Mix together.

Add the garlic powder, egg, parsley, basil, salt and

pepper. Mix thoroughly.

In a 13X9 casserole dish, pour in half of your

marinara sauce. 

Fill your partially baked shells with the cheese filling.

Place the shells in your dish on top of the marinara.

The shells should be open side up.

(I used a smaller dish)

Place the rest of your marinara on top of the shells.

Top the marinara with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Garnish with minced basil and parsley, if desired.

Cover your dish with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes,

or until the sauce starts to bubble.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Stop by and see what all my fellow Secret Recipe Club members made:

Chicken Parmigiana!~Secret Recipe Club

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Chicken Parmigiana is one of my all time favorites! I just love the creamy, cheesy, gooey Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese piled high atop a really deep tomatoey, marinara sauce, and moist, lightly breaded chicken. It's just so ~ Yum! Well, today is my day for Secret Recipe Club, and my assigned blog this month is The Savvy Kitchen. This is a great blog written by Amy, who loves to cook, and is getting married in just a couple months. Congratulation and Best Wishes, Amy! Amy has lots of fun, tasty looking recipes, you must try out~starting with this chicken parmigiana!

Chicken Parmigiana

1-1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt

Pepper

3/4 cup Flour

2 Eggs

1 tablespoon Water

3/4 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Olive Oil

Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese
Pasta

2 cups Marinara Sauce

1  32 ounce can San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes

3 Garlic Cloves

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

I made my own tomato sauce for this recipe. 

 The recipe calls for 2 cups of Marinara sauce, and my family

loves the sauce I make, and it's so simple!

Let's make the sauce first.

Chop your three cloves of garlic.

Place one tablespoon of olive oil in your pot,

and add the chopped garlic.

Let it cook until light brown.

Add your can of crushed tomatoes. 

Let cook for 20 minutes on medium low.

Stir a couple of times.

Let your sauce sit on low while you prep your chicken.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

We need to pound out the chicken, and make it a little thinner.

Cut a piece of wax paper, fold it in half, and place your first piece

of chicken on the wax paper.

Fold wax paper over the chicken.

I could not find my meat mallet, so I used a can to 

pound out the chicken. I pounded from the center, out,

just flattening the chicken a little.

Now, lets put together our assembly line.

Make an egg wash by adding the 1 tablespoon of water

to the two eggs. 

Mix well.

Place the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

I try not to use salt, if I can avoid it, so I substituted

garlic powder for the salt.

 It worked out great and was delicious!

Place your seasoned bread crumbs in a bowl, or on a plate.

Take a piece of chicken, and dip it in the flour.

then coat the piece of chicken by dipping it in the egg,

and finally in the bread crumbs.  

Continue to do this with all of your pieces.

Heat a frying pan with some olive oil, 

and when it becomes hot,

 add your piece of chicken.

This is totally optional, but I wanted to make the marinara 

smooth, so while the chicken was frying, I put the

sauce in the blender, and pureed.

Use a 9" X 13" oven safe pan.

Spray the bottom with pan spray.

Spoon 2-3 spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Add your chicken pieces on top of the sauce.

I left one piece plain and it was delicious.

Spoon some of the sauce onto your 

pieces of chicken.

Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top of the sauce.

Bake for 5-7 minutes.

Cook your pasta.

Place the pasta on your plate, top with sauce,

and top with your chicken.

Serve with garlic bread!

Enjoy!

Thanks Amy, for a delicious dish that is quickly

 becoming a family favorite!