This is the perfect time of year to eat comfort food until your heart’s content. When I make my weekly trek to the grocery store, I see lots of faces seemingly wanting to see a friendly smile, but not being able to tell if the stranger looking back at you is frowning or smizing.
Smizing is smiling with your eyes. A way of smiling through your eyes, but with your mandatory mask covering your nose and mouth in most stores. You might feel awkward the first time you do it, but it works. It’s all in the eyes. And, if you’re curious about the term Smize, the model Tyra Banks created it.
The Best Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
- For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the Breaded Chicken:
2 large eggs, beaten
2 large boneless and skinless chicken breast, halved horizontally to make 4 thin slices
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
- For the Topping:
4 slices low-moisture mozzarella cheese or 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- For the Pasta:
1 cup pasta of choice, cooked
Directions
- FIRST: Make the Sauce
- In a large pot, over medium heat, mix olive oil, tomato paste, tomato sauce, granulated sugar, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Heat until warm.
- Use to coat cooked chicken and pasta.
- SECOND: Prepare the Dredging
- Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate or bowl.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- THIRD: Dredge the chicken
- Working with one piece at a time, dip chicken in flour. Then in the egg and finally in the bread crumb mixture.
- FOURTH: Cook the chicken
- Preheat the air fryer for at least 5 minutes at 400°F.
- Place breaded chicken in air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes per side.
- Top with sauce and mozzarella cheese and cook for 2 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Serve over pasta with more sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Low-moisture cheese melts the best.
- You may also use jarred pasta sauce.
Our world as we once knew it changed in March 2020. And, while we may still have to endure more unknowns before normalcy returns, fortunately, the grocery stores are all operating at full capacity.
A Big Shout out and Huge Thank You to all of the essential front-line workers who show up for work every day with a Smize on their faces, ready and willing to help us. Thankfully, we now have options. We can go to the grocery stores or even have our food delivered right to our doorsteps. I personally like going to the grocery store and I am now a pro at Smizing. Every now and then, I treat myself to UberEats. Hey, I’m a Millennial, what can I say. However, I love to cook and I love comfort food. That is why you will absolutely love this Chicken Parmesan recipe.
I breaded the chicken breasts and instead of frying them, I air-fried them without using any oil. I was given an Air Fryer as a gift from my dad last summer. It is one of my favorite things. I sound like Oprah I know. Now, I know how she feels when she reveals her favorite things list. So Yes, I am head over heels with my Air Fryer.
The chicken breasts took minutes to air fry and they were super juicy and tender. While the Air Fryer was making its magic, I made my homemade marinara sauce with Italian seasoning, spices, and of course, sauce. I boiled the Angel hair pasta which took minutes to do. And just like that, a comfort food miracle was created on a pretty plate.
I hope you, too, will make this dish. If you have to make a quick trip to the grocery store to grab a few items, remember to Smize through your mask. The clerk will Smize right back. Or, if you get your groceries delivered, remember to tip generously with a Smize on your face. You will be comforted knowing that you helped make someone’s day just a little brighter. Keep Eating and Smizing!