Easy {and delicious} Chicken Parmesan

Being Italian, i'm pretty obsessed with pasta dishes. I could eat pasta all day, every day. Thankfully, I don't! Otherwise, I would need to workout 5 or 6 times more and harder than I already do every day to keep the weight off. I still indulge in pasta dishes on occasion and my go-to is almost always Chicken Parmesan. 

This meal is pretty filling as well and I often end up with leftovers, which are just as good, if not better, the next day.

Now, the amount of ingredients will be based on how many people you are feeding, so because of that, I can't really give an ingredient amount. However, I can tell you what the ingredient items are.

I cook my penne pasta as directed on the box, and while that is cooking, I bake my chicken kiev in the oven. These have been kind of illusive in my town lately, but usually you can find them in a box of two or in single wrapped packages in the freezer section of your grocer. I buy Barber Foods brand when they are available, but I'm sure there are other brands out there. Make sure you cook these according to package instructions, because they are frozen, raw chicken and you don't want to under cook them. 

I am going to be honest with you here (when am I not honest, though right?). I heat my marinara and garlic alfredo sauces up in soup mugs in my microwave after I take my kiev out of the oven. Yes, I "cook" meals with my microwave often. It's quicker, let's face it. 

Once everything is cooked, I layer pasta onto a plate, followed by marinara, the chicken kiev, more marinara, garlic alfredo, then mozzarella cheese. You can use provolone if you like, that's great on it as well. Usually my chicken is hot enough to melt the cheese on top, but sometimes I throw it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it all gooey and melty. Then I serve it with a salad and sometimes bread sticks. 

The garlic and parsley butter in the kiev blends with the two sauces and gives an amazing flavor combination. If you think this may be too much garlic for you, you can use regular alfredo sauce instead of the garlic alfredo. We just love garlic things here. 

I've also made this using just regular breaded chicken in tender form or chicken patties, then tossed my pasta with some home made garlic butter, but if you ask me, the kiev is the better of the two ways to make it. There's just something about that garlic parsley butter cooked in the center of it. It helps flavor the chicken as well. If you have the time, there's always the option of making your own kiev instead of purchasing the frozen ones!

I've made this for my in-laws quite a few times and they love it so much, they request it often and have frequently asked how to make it. 

Try it out, I swear, you'll love it!