Cheesy Chicken Schnitzel Bake
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Crispy chicken schnitzels baked over a chunky tomato and onion relish and topped with grated mozzarella and basil pesto when out of the oven.
Ingredients
Chicken Schnitzels
4 deboned chicken breasts, flattened
½ C (125 ml) cake flour
4 whole eggs, beaten
½ C (125 ml) Panko bread crumbs
2L canola oil
Tomato & Onion Sauce
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and microplaned
6 large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
70 g tomato paste
1 x 410 g tin of diced tomatoes
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
10 g basil, chiffonade
salt and black pepper
150 g Ladismith Mozzarella, grated
To Serve
10 g fresh basil
¼ C (60 ml) basil pesto
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160 º C
For the schnitzels, flatten out the chicken with a rolling pin or meat mallet until even in size. Dip the chicken pieces into the flour, then into the eggs and then into the panko crumbs. Repeat this process until all are coated.
Heat the canola oil in a deep-sided frying pan. Once at frying temperature, carefully place the chicken into the hot oil and fry for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, place onto a paper towel to drain.
Tomato & Onion Sauce
Heat a splash of olive oil, add the onions and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic and fry gently, then add the tomato paste and cook for a further 3-5 minutes. Add the chunks of fresh tomato and tinned tomato to the pan and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped basil and sugar and season to taste.
To assemble the dish, start with the tomato and onion sauce at the bottom, then add the chicken schnitzels. Top with grated mozzarella and then place into the oven for 5-8 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
Garnish with dollops of basil pesto and serve.
