CROUTON BREADED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1.6 hours (or overnight) to marinate 2.Place the chicken breasts in a medium resealable plastic bag. Pour the buttermilk over them and seal the bag. Let them soak 6 hours, or overnight, turning once or twice. 3.Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly mist a small non-stick baking pan or sheet with olive oil spray. Add the croutons to another resealable plastic bag. Pound them into very fine crumbs with the flat side of a meat mallet. Transfer the crumbs to a medium shallow bowl. Remove 1 breast from the bag and let any excess buttermilk drip off. Dip it into the crouton crumbs, covering the breast completely. Place the breaded breast on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second breast. If crumbs remain, press them into the tops of the chicken breasts. 4.Lightly spray the chicken breasts with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip them, being careful not to remove the coating. Lightly spray with olive oil and continue to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the coating is crisp and the chicken is no longer pink inside. ** for Chicken Parmesan- 1/4 cup low-fat marinara sauce (low-sodium, if possible) 1/2 oz (2 1/2 tbsp) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (no more than 3g of fat per oz.) 1 tsp grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic container or jar - not in the refrigerated section) Follow the directions for the Crouton Breaded Chicken, using fat-free Italian or Caesar-seasoned croutons instead of the herb-seasoned ones if you can find them (if you can't, the herb-seasoned ones are a great second choice). During the last 2 minutes of baking, top each chicken breast with half of the sauce, half of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan. Bake until the sauce is warm, the cheese is melted, and the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately. Recipes taken from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening by Devin Alexander