I love chicken parmigiana!
It’s not an Italian dish, so I only tasted it for the first time once I moved to America in my 20s. When I did, I was spellbound — I immediately looked up the history of the dish and learned that it was made by Italian immigrants in America. My cooking marries Southern Italian cuisine with Southern California so chicken parm really spoke to me.
My mother used to make me chicken Milanese, breaded, fried and stuffed with fresh mozzarella. I’d take it to school for lunch and eat it alongside bread dipped in leftover tomato sauce. This meal inspired my Chicken Parmigiana sandwich which is an off-the-menu special at Pizzana in Los Angeles. It sells out every time!
Now that my son is 3, he is my designated sous chef at home!
I love passing my family’s tradition of cooking down to him and I hope you enjoy cooking this recipe with your father, son or a special person in your life.