parmesan Archives - Life's A Tomato

Parmesan Chicken Bites

My wife mentioned these Parmesan chicken bites the other day. I made them a long time ago and posted them on our old blog, Crossroads of America, and somehow had forgotten about them. That’s a shame because they’re really great. They aren’t nuggets like you might think. And they aren’t crunchy because they aren’t fried. They have a light coating, with a great herb-and-butter flavor. They are very addicting. Bite after bite, you’ll find yourself unable to stop eating them. The flavors are amazing. So make a double batch. You’ll be glad that you did.

Flavor-Packed Nuggets Of Happiness

I continued the herb theme and served these Parmesan chicken bites with a cool Ranch dressing for dipping. A Dijon dipping sauce also works great, as does blue cheese dressing. These little yummy morsels are a great alternative to deep-fried chicken nuggets. They are a bit more difficult to pick up with your fingers, so be prepared to serve them with small appetizer forks.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Geedel Rotary Cheese Grater, Kitchen Mandoline Vegetable Slicer with 3 Interchangeable Blades, Easy to Clean Rotary Grater Slicer for Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts

Want ’em crunchy? Try my homemade chicken nuggets.

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5 from 1 vote

Parmesan Chicken Bites

These aren’t nuggets like you might think. And they aren’t crunchy because they aren’t fried. They have a light coating, with a great herb-and-butter flavor. They are very addicting.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken nuggets, Parmesan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 173kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

2 chicken breast halves boneless skinless, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ cup unsalted butter melted
Your favorite dipping sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil and spread out in a pie plate.
Working in batches, dip the chicken pieces into the melted butter and shake off the excess. Roll in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place chicken on foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the thickest pieces are cooked.
Serve with your favorite chicken nugget dipping sauce.

Notes

Best when served immediately.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set, Includes 1-Cup, 2-Cup, and 4-Cup Tempered Glass Liquid Measuring Cups, Dishwasher, Freezer, Microwave, and Preheated Oven Safe, Essential Kitchen Tools

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale

Parmesan Peas

I’m on a never-ending quest to find recipes that jazz up canned or frozen vegetables. I stock up on them before winter hits because you just never know when you might get stuck in the house for a while because of a blizzard (at least here). Once winter has passed I then rush to use up all the cans and bags and boxes of veggies. These Parmesan peas are an outstandingly good way to use frozen peas. And once fresh peas are available again, I’ll make this recipe with fresh ones. But either way, frozen or fresh, these peas are great!

Ready In No Time

You really have to watch these Parmesan peas when you cook them. They’ll go from bright green to yellowish in a heartbeat. Once they are all bright green, get them off the heat! I was dangerously close to crossing the line when I made these. Not that they’ll taste bad if you do let them cook too far, not at all. But they do get a bit softer. If you’re not into soft peas, pay attention and don’t over-cook them!

I made these peas in my cast iron skillet. But, any good ole skillet will do!

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 3 Skillet Bundle. 12 inches and 10.25 inches with 8 inch Set of 3 Cast Iron Frying Pans

Also try my penne pasta with peas.

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5 from 1 vote

Parmesan Peas

hese Parmesan peas are an outstandingly good way to use frozen peas. And once fresh peas are available again, I’ll make this recipe with fresh ones. But either way, frozen or fresh, these peas are great!

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword Parmesan, peas

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 121kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Tiffani Thiessen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 small shallots sliced or diced
Kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 pound peas frozen, thawed completely
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add the shallots along with a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent.
Add the peas and another pinch of salt. Cook until peas are soft and bright green, 2-3 minutes at most. Do not overcook or the peas will change color and no longer be bright green.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Serve sprinkled with the cheese and a pinch or two of pepper.

Notes

Also great using Pecorino-Romano cheese.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set, Includes 1-Cup, 2-Cup, and 4-Cup Tempered Glass Liquid Measuring Cups, Dishwasher, Freezer, Microwave, and Preheated Oven Safe, Essential Kitchen Tools

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles

This absolutely fantastic pasta-free dish reminds me of one we made years ago, but with pasta. It has all the great flavors, but uses zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead. I recently picked up a zoodler (spiralizer… spiral slicer… I’ve been making up names for it as I go), and just love how they are such a great low-carb substitute for pasta. Parmesan chicken zoodles combine some of my favorite tastes in one bite. First, cream. Gotta have cream. Second, chicken thighs. I love chicken thighs. I prefer them over chicken breasts. Sure, thighs aren’t as lean so if you want, you can substitute chopped chicken breast instead.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes For The Win

Next up? Sun-dried tomato. Sun-dried tomatoes were not something I was exposed to growing up. They were a new flavor experience to me when I started cooking. I really like them. They have such a great texture and deep flavor. The oil they are packed in is absolutely great for cooking (so don’t ever toss it out!).

Brieftons 5-Blade Vegetable Spiralizer: Strongest-Heaviest Spiral Slicer, Best Veggie Pasta Spaghetti Maker for Low Carb/Paleo/Gluten-Free/Vegan Meals, With Extra Blade Caddy, 4 Recipe Ebooks

If you know me or follow this blog at all, you know I gotta have some kick. Some heat. It doesn’t have to be much, but a little something to offset the sweetness of the cream is necessary in this dish. Use a little or a lot.

Finally, zoodles. Thinly sliced zucchini. Cooked so they have just a bit of crunch. Almost like pasta, and essentially carb-free. Perfect!

Looking for the perfect spiral dessert? Try my apple zoodles!

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4 from 1 vote

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles

This absolutely fantastic pasta-free dish reminds me of one we made years ago, but with pasta. It has all the great flavors, but uses zoodles.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, noodles, Parmesan, zucchini

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 457kcal

Author Based on a recipe from Cafe Delites

Equipment

Spiral Slicer

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ pound chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into strips or chunks
1 7.5 ounce sun-dried tomatoes julienned
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Kosher salt to taste
pinch dried basil
pinch dried red pepper flake
2 large zucchini or 3 medium, made into zoodles or just sliced thin/julienned

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with salt and add it to the pan. Stir to coat then cook until golden brown on all sides.
Lower the heat to medium.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil they are jarred in along with the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream.
Add the cheese and stir until melted.
Season with salt and add dried basil and red pepper flake.
Add the zucchini, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente.
Serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if desired.