Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with Homemade Marinara Spread (Griddle Sandwich Recipe)
This chicken parmesan sandwich on the griddle is made with a thickened homemade marinara sauce and homemade Italian bread. Shallow fry the breaded chicken breasts on the griddle for a perfectly crispy griddle chicken parmesan, and serve on Italian bread for an awesome sandwich or over top of your favorite pasta.
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- frying oil of your choice
- 5-6 slices fresh mozzarella or substitute shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Marinara:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ medium sweet onion finely diced
- 28 oz can tomatoes (whole plum tomatoes, crushed, etc) *good quality Italian tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves
- 4-5 jarred mini sweet cherry peppers, de-seeded and diced (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Italian Bread:
- 1 homemade Italian bread loaf or substitute store-bought Italian bread or French bread
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
For the Marinara:
- Set a skillet on the griddle surface. Heat griddle on low or medium.
- When skillet is hot, start making the marinara by adding about 3 tablespoons of a good olive oil to the skillet. Add the diced onion to the oil, and cook until the onions start to get translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic to the skillet, stir, and allow the garlic and onions to cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes to the skillet. *If using whole plum tomatoes, use a spatula or fork to roughly crush the tomatoes. Stir to combine the tomatoes with the onions and garlic. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is almost reduced to your liking.
- Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add basil leaves, tomato paste, and jarred sweet peppers (if using). Stir to combine. Continue to cook on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to your liking.
For the Chicken Parmesan:
- While the marinara is reducing in the skillet on the griddle, set up a dredging station by preparing the following wide-bottomed bowls: Bowl 1 - flour; bowl 2 - beaten eggs; bowl 3 - Italian breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake (if using).
- Pound out the chicken breasts until they are even in thickness (about ⅓ - ½" thick).
- Bread the chicken breasts by adding them to each of the dredging bowls in order, one at a time. Coat one chicken breast in a thin even layer of flour and shake off excess. Transfer the flour-coated breast to the egg bowl, and coat with the egg. Then, transfer the breast to bowl 3 with the Italian breadcrumbs. Gently toss to coat the breast in the breadcrumb mixture. Then, transfer the breaded chicken to a plate. Follow these steps until all chicken breasts are breaded.
- Add a good amount of oil to the heated griddle surface, enough to shallow fry the chicken breasts. Add the breaded chicken breasts to the oil, and cook on the first side until that side is golden brown and crispy. *You may need to use your scraper to move the oil towards the chicken, so there is enough oil to get the chicken crispy.
- Add another bit of fresh oil to the griddle in a clear spot, and flip your chicken breasts to the second side in the fresh oil. Continue to cook on the second side until chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- Place a wire rack on top of the griddle surface. Transfer the cooked chicken to the wire rack, and top the chicken with mozzarella cheese. Place a melting dome over the chicken to melt the cheese. When cheese is melted, transfer chicken to a plate.
To Build the Sandwich:
- While cheese is melting on the chicken breasts, slice the Italian bread in half length-wise. Add butter and minced garlic to the cut side of the bread, and toast on the griddle.
- Spread the top and bottom of the bread with the marinara sauce, add the fried chicken parmesan, sprinkle with some fresh parmesan cheese, and serve warm.
Notes
- For a thinner, more saucy marinara, cook for less time in the skillet.