Everyone who knows me knows chicken parmesan was one of the major reasons I was overweight. Though I certainly don’t eat the deep-fried version these days, I do still love the incredible combination of tender chicken, perfectly seasoned marinara sauce, and gooey cheese. Here is one of the all-time easiest versions that’s especially great for low-carbers, as it’s not breaded. If you prefer the more traditional breaded chicken parmesan, I have a quick answer for you too: Just pop over to page 118 and try the Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan. Or, better yet, try both!

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts

　　Sea salt and pepper, to taste

　　Garlic powder, to taste

　　1 cup low-fat jarred marinara sauce (lower-sodium, if possible), divided

　　4 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) finely shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese (no more than 3 g of fat per ounce; I used Lucerne, found at Safeway chains)

　　1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

　　2 tablespoons finely slivered fresh basil leaves, plus more to taste

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Lay the chicken breasts on a flat work surface between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet, working from the center outward, until they are an even 1/2 inch thick throughout. Season with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

　　

Step 3

Spread 1/3 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of an 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Lay the chicken breasts side by side over the marinara sauce. Spoon the remaining 2/3 cup sauce evenly over the chicken breasts to cover them. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the chicken breasts followed by 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Continue cooking the chicken (uncovered) for 12 to 15 more minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle the basil leaves over the top. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Each (1 chicken breast) serving has:

　　

Step 5

Calories: 210

　　

Step 6

Protein: 35g

　　

Step 7

Carbohydrates: 7g

　　

Step 8

Fat: 4g

　　

Step 9

Saturated Fat: 1g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 76mg

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 445mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.