Chicken Parmesan - Mind the Broiler

Chicken parmesan is not and never will be my signature dish. I've made it twice and both times failed. Tonight the result was edible but...

So the broiler is a dangerous tool. If you set it on HI for 8 minutes but don't watch it because you're still making the rest of the dinner so that everything is ready together you're in trouble. The broiler can strike its firey arms at any moment.

I thought it was going to work this time...

The chicken was not actually that bad despite the crispy charred crust. But it wasn't chicken parmesan...it was just chicken with pasta and sauce and a little breading on the bottom. It had little to no flavor but luckily the sauce was delicious and there was plenty of extra. There was no cheese to speak of--this is probably the healthiest "chicken parmesan" ever due to the lack of cheese and breading.

But until the broiler mistake, the recipe was actually turning out well. The panko, parmesan and spices stuck to the chicken. The crust browned golden in the hot pan with a little bit of olive oil. The recipe was perfect and then...the cheese caught on fire during the broiling process. Sure I'll try it again...but sadly not soon.