You know that quote “you are what you eat”? If there’s any truth to that, I want to be a chicken parm meatball. Unsurprising, considering I am one of those people who often ponder things like “can some emotional health issues be relieved with carbs?” I think they call that soul food and I am certain the answer is yes.
I’m also the grown-up version of a young girl who was raised and fed by Jewish Depression-Era grandparents who valued every crumb and made homecooked meals that put tears in your eyes. I believe my love of carbs comes directly from snacking on challah with a big, beautiful hunk of butter on top. Oh man, those were the days of a revved-up metabolism and burning calories by riding a bike all the livelong day. Even still, I find myself going for the bag of bread when I get a little hangry. I. Need. Carbs.
My slow metabolism and I crave the savory, crunchy, breadcrumb-encrusted recipes, and when we surf the web and find something special, we make it and tweak it until it’s our own happy little creation. Chicken parm meatballs are one of those dishes that satisfy the entire family and can be fairly versatile if you think about it. Need a fancy appetizer? Chicken parm meatballs on toothpicks with a marinara dipping sauce to the rescue. Out of utensils? Put these babies on a roll and have a delicious meatball sub. Looking to carb load? Throw them over your favorite pasta and bake some garlic bread. The latter is how we tend to enjoy this recipe, and I want to give you all the good details.
I love it when you find a recipe and look at the ingredients and think… “I already have 90% of this in my pantry.” I especially love it when the recipe involves Panko in any flavor whatsoever! Have you tried it yet? Panko is a type of breadcrumb used in Japanese cooking that is lighter and flakier than our traditional breadcrumbs. They are a great alternative for those traditional breadcrumbs, adding a lighter texture to favorites like Salmon Patties and, of course, chicken parmesan. You can find Panko in every store and should always have it readily available for those recipes that need a little crunch.
There’s a lot to love about these little meatballs. For one, they come together very quickly! It’s true that the moment you start to combine the ingredients and are wrist-deep in ground chicken that your children will ask you to help them with something, but that’s about the only inconvenience I can think of when it comes to this particular recipe. I like that it’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but is super family-friendly and that even my pickiest eater gets excited when it’s on the meal plan for the week. They also reheat the next day like a total boss!
Do you have a delicious chicken parmesan recipe that I should try? Did you try THIS recipe and enjoy it? Tell me everything in the comments! Then consider liking this post and following Look Wider Still.
-Rebekah
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