A crisp salad dressed with oil, vinegar, and herbs is a light alternative to a side of pasta. The chicken makes wonderful leftovers. Reheat it for 10 minutes, and try it in a sandwich with a little extra sauce on the side.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

　　3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

　　8 chicken cutlets or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, halved horizontally (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

　　Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

　　1 large egg, lightly beaten

　　2 cups Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce (page 356) or jarred tomato sauce

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　6 ounces mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh, cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices

　　

Step 1

Heat the broiler. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides.

　　

Step 2

Spread the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 4 chicken cutlets in the skillet; cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Using a spatula, transfer the browned chicken cutlets to the baking dish, placing them on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken cutlets.

　　

Step 3

Top each cutlet with a slice of mozzarella. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

　　

Dredging Chicken

Step 4

Use shallow bowls for the egg and the coating mixture. After dipping the chicken in the egg, let the excess egg drip off before coating the cutlet in the breadcrumb mixture.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2007 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine's editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.