Paleo Chicken Parmesan

Paleo Comfort Food at its Finest

Chicken Parm or, colloquially, chicky chicky parm parm, is the kind of rich, cheesy comfort food that many paleoers think is off limits. Well, get ready to welcome chicken parm back into the meal lineup with this completely doable recipe. Add some zoodles alongside, and you've got a delicious meal which, unlike its non-paleo cousin, will leave you feeling great in the tummy and ready to go.

--This recipe feeds 2 but there was plenty of leftover marinara and 'breading,' so you could easily make it for 3 or 4 by simply upping the amount of chicken--

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (2/person. We're trying to lift heavy stuff here)
1 large jar of crushed or diced tomatoes (we always have canned tomatoes around because my mom cans veggies like a demon. Reach out to her and see if you can get it on this sweet deal)
1/2 large red onion
​3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
4 large slices of grassfed cheese, goat's milk cheese, raw mozzarella, or cheese alternative (different paleoers have different tolerances for different types dairy, so be true to what works for you and your performance)
3 large eggs
1 3/4 Cups Almond Flour (or almond meal. One of these days I'll figure out the difference. But it is not this day)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper and Paprika

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 350---
1. In a large pan, turn up the heat on your olive oil. Dice your onion and smash your garlic and toss them into the pan
2. While the onion and garlic are sizzling and making wonderful aromas, get the pan for your chicken ready. Line a 9x9 inch glass or metal pan with parchment paper and set it aside

3. Once the onion and garlic have sauteed, add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine, turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer uncovered so the flavors can meld together and some of the liquid from the crushed tomatoes steams off

If only smell-o-vision was real

4. While the sauce is simmering, get the chicken thighs ready for baking. (You can definitely use chicken breasts for this recipe but the chicken will be baking uncovered and chicken breasts may wind up a bit dry). Crack the 3 eggs in a medium sized bowl and whisk to uniform consistency
5. In another medium sized dish, combine the almond flour, salt, pepper, and paprika, and mix thoroughly
6. Dip each thigh in the egg, coating thoroughly, and then dredge it in the almond flour mixture, coating both sides

7. Place your 'breaded' chicken pieces in the pan. Don't be afraid to cram them in there for space purposes, they will shrink a bit as they cook and leave plenty of room

8. Add a generous scoop of your newly created marinara sauce to each chicken thigh in the pan, then pop it into the oven

Hurry up!!

9. Cook chicken for 20 minutes. While it's cooking you can get your zoodles ready, or just stare impatiently at the timer, your choice. I was so hungry and could smell such tasty things that I chose to let the hubby do the zoodles while I willed the timer to go faster

10. After 20 minutes, remove the pan of deliciousness from the oven and top with a generous portion of the cheese or cheese alternative of your choice. Pictured here is Kerrygold brand cheese made from grass fed cow's milk

11. Put the pan back in the oven for 6 more minutes or until the cheesy is super gooey (this will vary depending on which type of cheese you use, so be sure to utilize your oven light and keep an eye on things)
​12. Dinner time!!

How did this recipe work for you? I know that traditional marinara and most red pasta sauce have a little sweetness to them and this sauce is much more zesty. I thought about adding a touch of coconut sugar to the sauce but went the more strict paleo route and skipped it. If you try it with a bit of sweet, please let me know how it went in the comments. Leave me any questions, comments, or thoughts on the designated hitter rule below and make it a great day!!