Chicken Parm Subs

Morning is my favorite time of day. Annoyingly so. Particularly to my friends and family who don’t share my predisposition to keeping early hours.

I love mornings so much that I’m envious of people who have mornings when I don’t. Do you know what I’m talking about? Actors on TV! I have the most serious case of FOMO when I’m sitting down in the evening, a full nights sleep ahead of me, and someone on screen gets to sit down in their jammies (preferably a matching set) and enjoy a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. Or they’re out brunching. Or making a delicious breakfast. It’s just not fair! I ache for that. I’m such a sucker.

I’m also hella susceptible to other suggestions about food and drink from movies and shows. Sure, it doesn’t help that majority of my viewing is food related, but still. A character can be eating something or drinking something and I just havetohaveit. I get a crazy, wicked craving.

Movies and shows that support this:

Gilmore Girls (The stomachs on those two.)

Parks and Rec (“All the bacon and eggs you have.”)

Julie & Julia (Duh.)

The Mindy Project (Bear claws and sour straws.)

Mike & Molly (Diner scenes all day long.)

The Sopranos (Cannoli after cannoli after cannoli.)

Yes, The Sopranos makes me hungry. You’d think I’d lose my appetite what with all the murder and bloodshed, but, ironically, it makes me crave a good red sauce. And a nice chicken parm.

Which is what we have here. I’ve been making these sandwiches pretty regularly since The Boyfriend and I watched the series for the first go round a few months ago. And dang, they’re good! Crispy from panko bread crumbs. Chewy from a nice baguette. Gooey from big slices of fresh mozzarella. Then, I added caramelized peppers and onions, just because. Plus, making them allows me to practice my chicken frying skills – something that needs to be honed in my Southern home.

Chicken Parm Subs

(makes 4 large sandwiches)

1 Family Pack Chicken breast tenderloins (about 2.5 pounds)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

3 eggs

½ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup regular bread crumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Canola oil, for frying

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced (I like red, yellow, or orange)

2 large baguettes, cut in half and then crosswise

2 cups good quality tomato sauce

1 package fresh Buffalo mozzarella, sliced thin

¼ - ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Place cooling rack on top of foil.

Place enough oil in a large cast iron skillet to fill halfway. Heat over medium high heat. (Oil will be ready for frying when little flecks of flour sprinkled along the top bubble and disappear.)

For the Chicken:

In three shallow dishes (I use pie plates), combine the following:

Dish 1: Flour and seasoned salt

Dish 2: Whisk eggs together thoroughly

Dish 3: Panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning

Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Working in small batches, dip each piece in flour, shaking off excess before dipping in egg and then coating in breadcrumb mixture. Place on

Working in batches of three, fry chicken tenders until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Place on prepared baking rack and continue process until all chicken tenders are fried. Drain off majority of the fat from the skillet, reduce heat to low.

Once chicken tenders have been fried, bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until tenders are fully cooked through.

Assembling the sandwiches:

While the chicken is baking, caramelize the onions and peppers in the skillet.

When ready to put together the sandwiches, spread a layer of sauce along each side of the bread. Layer with chicken, more sauce, sliced mozzarella, parmesan, and pepper and onions.

Bake sandwiches in preheated oven for 5 – 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden and melted.