Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce

What is going on in my house? I feel like I have a newborn again. I'm sleeping 4 hours because both kids are getting up at various times during the night.  Thing 1 runs into my room and hops in bed.  Mom's just too tired to bother putting him in his bed right away.  And he is a bed pig, not hog, pig.  He's too little to be a hog, but he's effective.  He flips and squirms and yanks the blankets around and I end up sandwiched in an awkward position between him and Mike.  And then to wake me up, Thing 1 whisper yells in my face that he needs milk.  Think really quite demon voice.


Thankfully I have coffee!  Mike's sister (and family) sent me a French Press for Christmas and it has saved my life on more than one occasion.  No more hoping a Coffee Fairy shows up at my door with a venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot.  That's for special occasions now.





Now that I'm awake and semi-functional let's get to the food.  I found another super easy, super delicious recipe.  After my first run in with Philadelphia Cooking Creme, I bought some more with my coupons and I didn't know what I was going to do with it.  Jamie to the rescue!

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce
Adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up!


Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 - 12oz package bowtie pasta (farfalle)


Sauce:
1 - 10oz container Philadelphia Cooking Creme (Italian Cheese & Herb flavor)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)


Directions:

1. On a plate, mix flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  
2. Place chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag and seal it.  Pound chicken flat with a meat mallet.  Cut each chicken breast in half (vertical or horizontal, it doesn't matter).
3. Dredge chicken in flour, being sure to coat both sides well.  Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and put in the freezer for 5 minutes.
4. Start boiling the water for your pasta.
5. Set up your dredge station. 1) 1/2 cup milk.  2) Bread crumbs mixed with seasoned salt, pepper and basil.  Take chicken from freezer and dredge each piece in the milk and then immediately into the bread crumbs.  Again, be sure both sides are covered well.
6. Add oil to a hot skillet.  Salt boiling pasta water and add pasta.
7. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil.  Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until bottom side is golden brown.  Turn pieces over and cook for another 6 to 7 minutes.  When chicken is cooked through, remove to wire rack (I put my rack over the same baking sheet I used before, after removing the foil), cover loosely with foil.
8. In the same skillet, add the broth, 3/4 cup milk, cream of chicken soup, and Philly Cooking Creme.  Whisk the sauce and let it get warm and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
9. Drain pasta and then toss it with about 3/4 of the sauce.
10. Slice chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce.  Drizzle top of chicken with sauce and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.