30-Minute Chicken Prosciutto Mozzarella Bake With Italian Flair

Easy 30-Minute Prep Recipe

If you are looking for an easy recipe that can be made in 30 minutes and is a sure winner for company meals, then you have come to the right place.

Most often my husband does the cooking for our dinner parties and many times his recipes are quite intricate and involved and take a lot of time to execute. Sometimes he starts the process a day or two in advance depending upon the menu for that evening.

Some things actually improve and the flavors have a chance to blend and/or mellow by doing this. Soups are a good example. They can be served chilled or reheated, depending upon what is best, and finishing garnishes added at the last moment before serving.

It is nice to find an occasional recipe that is not only delicious but also simple and easy to make, and he has amassed some of those as well in his collection of recipes.

After trying a new recipe and following the directions exactly . . . my husband then likes to play around with it to see if he can come up with something new or make alterations, and this is how this easy chicken mozzarella recipe with Italian flair was created. It is quite different from the fish entrée which originally inspired it.

Mozzarella Cheese

This is one of the three ingredients aside from salt and pepper seasonings in this recipe.

You heard that right! You need only three ingredients to make this delicious dish.

This recipe calls for fresh mozzarella cheese and if you can locate it and if your budget allows buffalo mozzarella is the tastiest version.

Fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese comes from water buffalo milk instead of cows' milk.

We purchase ours from Costco and it is sold in plastic containers with briny liquid surrounding the small balls of fresh mozzarella, or in slightly larger containers where the mozzarella pieces are tightly wrapped in cellophane.

Prosciutto

Prosciutto di Parma is the second ingredient in this baked chicken recipe.

Prosciutto di Parma is the highest grade of this ham product and originates from Italy. There are other ham products labeled prosciutto but only those originating from a small area in Italy and meeting the highest of standards can be labeled as Prosciutto di Parma.

The special diets of the pigs and how the ham legs are processed and the long aging time all account for the superior taste.

Most delicatessen departments in large grocery or specialty stores carry this prosciutto. Those of us with access to Costco stores such as we have in Houston, Texas are fortunate. We can get the real Prosciutto di Parma packages direct from Italy at a good price.

You don't need many slices for this chicken recipe so go ahead and splurge on this ingredient. You will be glad that you did!

Chicken Recipe

Our third and last prime ingredient is skinless boneless chicken breasts.

The first step is to wash them under running water and dry them completely with paper towels.

If they are large-sized chicken breasts (as many of them are) cut them in half into nice-sized portions. Then slice with a sharp knife in half length-wise, not cutting through entirely, as shown in the photo below.

Lay them open and season them with salt and pepper to taste keeping in mind that the prosciutto is salty.

If using thin skinless boneless fillets of chicken you can skip this step. Just season one side of them with salt and pepper.

Photo Guide

Chicken Mozzarella ala Parma

This is the appropriate name that my husband has come up with for this easy-to-assemble recipe since two of the three main ingredients come from Italy.

Directions:

The next assembly steps are so simple.

Just cut slices of the fresh mozzarella cheese and put appropriately sized pieces onto the chicken folding the top back over it as these photos demonstrate.

The next step is to simply roll the chicken and mozzarella in the paper-thin slices of the prosciutto. One slice of prosciutto per chicken piece is more than sufficient.

Place on baking sheets sprayed with Pam or lightly greased with some other product and place in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until it is done.

When serving to a plate be sure and use all of any mozzarella cheese that oozes out of the chicken. It is delicious!

Be prepared for rave reviews from your family and friends when you make this simple 30-minute recipe using these simple but delicious ingredients.

Serve with accompanying vegetables and perhaps a starch of your choice as well as a crisp fresh salad for a nutritious and wholesome meal. Risotto and baked asparagus would be a good suggestion. But I'll leave the rest of the meal up to you to complete.

I hope you enjoy this chicken entrée recipe with definite Italian flair as much as we and our friends do! Buon appetito!

References

• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Prosciutto
• Prosciutto di Parma

Please rate this recipe! Thanks!

© 2012 Peggy Woods