In my efforts to be GF (that’s gluten free for those of you who haven’t been out to eat since 2010), I REALLY miss the bready goodness that it brings.  I recently heard that it’s possible to use quinoa for breading, so I decided to be adventurous and try this Quinoa Chicken Parmesan.  Basically, you use cooked quinoa to bread the chicken.  It was so good!  It gave the chicken a thick, crispy crust that I might actually choose over bread (seriously, it’s that good!)

Quinoa Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise in half
  • Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 package fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought (If I buy sauce, I like to make sure there’s no sugar added!)
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

    Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Stir in Italian seasoning.

    Mix salt and pepper in with almond flour in one bowl, and put beaten eggs and cooked quinoa in 2 separate bowls.

    Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in quinoa mixture, pressing to coat.

  • Place chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Put into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with cheeses and marinara. Place back into oven and bake until cheeses have melted, about 5 more minutes.

    Serve immediately, garnished with basil!

I served it with these zucchini noodles I love (I’d either do the “zoodles” plain or with marinara sauce to go with the chicken), and a green salad with tomatoes.

So good, and so healthy!  Let me know what you think!