Juicy, tender chicken breasts are perfectly nestled around artichoke hearts, topped with panko, baked in marinara sauce and finished with mozzarella cheese melted over the top.

Chicken parmesan is one of those classic Italian dishes that you can’t go wrong with. It’s tender, flavorful and delicious…no wonder it’s so popular! The problem is, the traditional versions taste amazing but require dredging your chicken in an egg wash, breading and then frying it, which is much too labor intensive for busy weeknights.

This simple recipe has all the flavor of traditional chicken parm but takes half the time to prepare, requires no frying (heck yes, healthy!) and minimal cleanup—making it an ideal weeknight meal that your whole family will love.

Marina / Tomato Sauce

This recipe calls for either marinara or tomato sauce. We often make our own marinara sauce ahead of time. Because life as moms, wives and working women is so hectic, whenever we prepare foods, like this homemade Roasted Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce, we make extra and freeze it for future meals. We’ve found preparing foods in bulk to be one of the BEST ways to save time and successfully live a real food lifestyle.

You can certainly use a jar of your favorite sauce too−just double check the ingredients listed to make sure it’s made with FfL-friendly (traditional, real food) ingredients.

Do I have to add artichokes?

In short, no. We’ve made this meal numerous times without artichokes but have found adding them gives this dish a gentle nutty undertone and burst of irresistible flavor.

How to add a hidden (pureed) veggie for picky eaters

Pureeing food is a simple, incognito way to add just about any fruit, veggie or protein into a meal so that your picky eaters won’t complain. Later, as their palates begin to adjust, they’ll enjoy whole foods on their own because, thanks to you, they’ve been eating them already.

Follow the recipe as directed but mix 1/2 cup vegetable puree into the yogurt/ spaghetti sauce mixture prior to cooking (can use: artichoke, broccoli, carrot, pumpkin, butternut squash or roasted red pepper puree). Eliminate the artichokes, if desired.

No time to puree? No problem! If you’re pinched for time and pureeing just isn’t in the cards, check the baby food aisle. If you’re adding butternut squash, sweet potatoes or pumpkin puree, you can find them canned in the baking aisle. Just remember minimal, recognizable ingredients. The only ingredients should be veggie and possibly a small amount of salt.

What type of panko or bread crumbs should I use?

Just like everything when it comes to a real food lifestyle, if you’re purchasing store-bought, be sure to check the ingredients listed. Choose panko and bread crumbs with limited ingredients that you recognize, such as grain, water, yeast and salt.

Whenever we have bread that needs to be used up, we make a big batch of bread crumbs and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. It’s pretty simple and tastes delicious. To do this, we spread out the pieces of bread we’re going to use in one even layer on a baking sheet and let them sit out for a few hours or overnight to get “stale.” We warm the oven to 250 degrees and put the baking sheet of bread in the oven for 1-2 hours, until the bread is dried out. After it’s cooled, we grind the crispy, crunchy slices in the food processor (with a grating blade) or use a large cheese grater (although that can get a tad messy).

Why add Greek yogurt?

Greek yogurt is packed with protein, adds a subtle creamy texture (hello, comfort dish without the calories) and helps keep your chicken moist. While it’s not an absolute necessity to add, we certainly recommend including it.

What to serve with your Chicken Parm

Some of our favorites sides to pair this meal with are a big fresh salad, some steamed broccoli (you know, those amazing steamer bags you can find in the freezer section) and a small side of whole grain pasta. You can prep your pasta ahead, boil it while your chicken is baking or you can serve your chicken as is, no sides necessary!

Ways to reinvent your leftovers:

• Leftover chicken parm in a toasted hoagie roll
• Quesadilla style in a wrap
• Chicken parm stuffed peppers: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off top of bell peppers and remove seeds and membranes. Fill a baking dish just large enough to fit peppers with about 1/4-inch of water. Place peppers upside down in water, cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. While peppers are baking, chop leftover chicken parm into bite-size pieces and mix with additional marinara sauce and whatever else you prefer. (We often add a little cooked farro and any leftover veggies that need to be used up from the fridge). Remove peppers from oven, drain excess water, stand peppers upright and stuff them with chicken mixture. Pour additional marinara sauce over peppers. Cover tightly with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Return to oven and bake until peppers have reached desired tenderness, about 15–20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, parsley and serve warm.

With just a few simple ingredients and no-fuss prep, you’ll have a deliciously baked chicken dish that you’ll swear is the juiciest you’ve ever eaten. ENJOY!