Extreme Budget, Day Six - Chicken Milanese

Budget food can be gourmet and easy to make. Take for example Milanese.
While most often it is veal, nowadays chicken shows up more on a menu.
My version is served with a salad spooned on top and I use a mix of panko, Parmesan cheese and dried seasoned bread crumbs for the coating. We eat some version of a breaded chicken dish at least twice a month.

YUM!

I bought a 2 1/2 pound package of boneless chicken breasts that were on sale for $1.99 a pound.
Knowing I needed one large breast and four smaller ones, I searched through the pile and found exactly the one I wanted.
I butterflied and pounded the large cutlet to a 1/4" width which when done just fit in my 12" fry pan.
Sliced into four sections (2 pieces per) I made a small simple salad of Campari tomatoes, cucumber and butter, romaine and iceberg lettuces and a sprinkle of bleu cheese.
I love all the different textures and flavors of this dish and it is another budget friendly, thirty minute meal perfect for all the time we don't have to make dinner at the start of this holiday season.

If your breasts are small then a simple butterfly might be all that's needed, but if you use a roaster-sized breast (like I had) you will have to butterfly and pound it into an even thickness throughout.

If you are not a blue cheese fan, small cubed Jarlsberg will work well with it's nutty flavor.

Chicken Milanese
makes 2 servings
* 1 large boneless chicken breast (6-8oz)
* 1/4 cup each panko, seasoned bread crumbs and Parmsan cheese
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 cups salad greens (your fav mix)
* 2" piece of cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
* 2 Campari tomatoes, diced (or a handful of grape)
* 2 tablespoons Italian dressing, homemade or bottled
* 1 tablespoon crumbled bleu or Swiss cheese

1. Butterfly and pound breast meat to a thickness of 1/4". Salt & pepper.
2. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in a large dish.
3. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then into crumb mixture, pressing to adhere an even coating on both sides.
4. Pour a thin coating of olive oil into a large frying pan and saute until golden brown on both sides.
5. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm while you make the salad.

Here's the run down on the total cost: $3.25
Chicken - $1.25
Salad mix - $1.10
Tomatoes - $ .50
Cucumber - $ .13
1 egg - $ .27
Crumbs, cheeses and dressing - FREE

Running total: $14.45