Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

I've been sharing a lot of Crock Pot recipes lately, haven't I?

I've been working my slow cooker on overtime lately. 

I really do use them a lot.

I own 3 slow cookers. 

One is a 4.5 quart round (good for soups or smaller meals).

I also own a 5-quart oval slow cooker and and a 7-quart oval slow cooker.

Those oval ones are great for slightly larger meals and for meals like this one where you need

 a bit more room to spread your food out. 

You don't want to have chicken breasts that are coated in bread crumbs stacked 

on top of each other.

I love a round slow cooker but I find when making meals that require whole chicken breasts or larger cuts of meats, that it cooks more evenly in the oval ones.

Also, the crock pots of today heat up much more quickly than the older ones so it can be easy for things to cook unevenly in a round slow cooker unless you are making a soup or shredded beef or chicken.  All of my crock pots cost between $15-$20.

I don't have any of the fancier ones that are digital with timers, etc.

Those are perfectly nice, but I find my cheap ones work just fine.

And if you are only looking to making a small investment in a kitchen appliance, then

 the $20 one will do the trick.

So now that we've had our mini-lesson in Crock Pots, lets get on with this yummy supper recipe.  By the way, the terms "Crock Pot" and "slow cooker" are used interchangeably.

It's all the same thing.

Crock Pot is just a name brand of a line of slow cookers.

Lots of companies make slow cookers.

I have one made by Hamilton Beach and the other two are made by Crock Pot.

But we always seem to refer to these meals as "Crock Pot" meals.

Now, I know y'all are gonna read this recipe and say, "Um Brandie, this is called Chicken Parmesan and I don't see a speck of Parmesan anywhere in this recipe.".

And you would be right.

There isn't any in this particular recipe. I guess I should have called it Chicken Mozarella. 

But we all know this by Chicken Parmesan so that's what I'm rolling with.

I hope you'll forgive me.

 It's just that my family isn't a huge fan of the Parmesan flavor.

My Alex is slowly starting to enjoy it on his salads.

And I can sometimes sneak it into the breading. But more often than not, I leave it out.

So, if you'd like, feel free to add some shredded Parmesan into the breading on the chicken.

Or sprinkle a bit on top along with the mozzarella.

 

Ingredients:

1 (25 oz). jar spaghetti sauce

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup (or more if you like) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 package of spaghetti noodles (for serving)

Normally, I try to use frozen chicken breasts when I can for slow cooker meals.

But for this one, we need to brown the crust a bit first so they need to be raw or thawed chicken breasts.

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner).

Pour in jar of spaghetti sauce.

Get out two shallow bowls.

In one bowl, whisk together egg and milk (add in any salt & pepper to taste).

 In a second bowl, mix together panko bread crumbs with garlic powder, oregano and basil.

 Get your assembly line all set up to make this go quicker.

In a large skillet, begin heating up the vegetable oil (over medium-high heat).

You want to get your skillet hot before adding chicken to it.

Dip each chicken breast into the milk mixture.

(those little black specks are black pepper)

 Then roll it around in the seasoned bread crumbs.

Do each breast one at a time.

 Then add chicken to hot skillet. Continue with the rest of the chicken.

You aren't cooking them. 

All you want is to create a nice golden brown crust on both sides of the chicken breasts.

If necessary, add a bit more oil to the pan.

 After browning both sides, add chicken to the crock pot on top of the sauce.

You will notice I only have 3 breasts in here. 

This is plenty for my family and this package only came with 3.

It all depends on the size of the chicken breasts you are using.

If you are making more than 4 for this recipe, or if your chicken breasts are large, I suggest making this in a 7-quart oval slow cooker. 

  Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Note: About 30 minutes before this is ready, you'll want to start 
cooking your spaghetti noodles, if using.

  About 10-15 minutes before serving, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese

 (and Parmesan, if using).

 Cover again and allow cheese to melt.

 Serve over cooked spaghetti with a crisp, green salad and some garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe Here