Ten ingredients and forty minutes, with two separate cooking steps in the same skillet.
The breaded cutlet is cooked first, all the way to 165°F, and rested. Only then does it go between the bread.
Why This Recipe Works
- Thin cutlets cook through in the time it takes the crumb to turn golden.
- Parmesan in the breadcrumbs gives the cutlet its chicken-parm flavour.
- Resting the cutlet lets it settle so it doesn't steam the bread.
- Low-moisture mozzarella melts and stretches without making the bread soggy.
- Medium-low heat toasts thick bread dark without burning before the cheese melts.
Ingredient Notes
- Thin chicken cutlets
- Two, about eight ounces together. Thin, so they cook through in a skillet in a few minutes a side.
- Italian breadcrumbs with Parmesan
- Half a cup with two tablespoons. The Parmesan in the crumb is what makes the cutlet taste of chicken parm.
- Thick country bread
- Four thick slices. Sturdy bread holds a cutlet and melted cheese and toasts dark without collapsing.
- Low-moisture mozzarella and marinara
- Six ounces shredded and half a cup. Low-moisture mozzarella melts and stretches without flooding the bread.
How to Make It
Cutlets coated in flour, egg and Parmesan breadcrumbs
Coat chicken cutlets in flour, beaten egg, then breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan.
Cooked in olive oil until golden and 165°F, rested
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium and cook the cutlets until golden and 165°F in the center, about 3 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Rest 3 minutes.
Marinara, cutlet and mozzarella layered between thick country bread
Spread marinara on two bread slices, top each with a cooked chicken cutlet and mozzarella, and close with remaining bread.
Buttered and griddled until dark golden and fully melted
Butter the outsides and griddle over medium-low heat until the country bread is dark golden and the mozzarella is fully melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
The Griddle Is Not Where the Chicken Cooks
A grilled cheese is made over gentle heat for a few minutes a side - enough to toast bread and melt cheese, nowhere near enough to cook raw chicken through a slice of bread. So this recipe has a hard gate in the middle: COOK THE CHICKEN CUTLETS TO 165°F BEFORE SANDWICH ASSEMBLY.
- Three stations, and PARMESAN in the last2 THIN CHICKEN CUTLETS, about 8 oz together, coated in 1/3 cup FLOUR, then 1 BEATEN EGG, then 1/2 cup ITALIAN BREADCRUMBS mixed with 2 tbsp GRATED PARMESAN. The Parmesan in the crumb is what makes this a chicken Parmesan sandwich rather than simply a breaded chicken one.
- Cooked in the skillet - golden outside1 tbsp OLIVE OIL over MEDIUM and the cutlets cooked UNTIL GOLDEN, ABOUT 3 TO 4 MINUTES PER SIDE DEPENDING ON THICKNESS. Thin cutlets are specified precisely so that the inside reaches temperature in the time the crumb takes to brown.
Check before you continue
165°F in the center - then a 3-minute rest — An instant-read thermometer in the centre of each cutlet
Cooked UNTIL GOLDEN AND 165°F IN THE CENTER, then RESTED 3 MINUTES. This is the gate, and it cannot move later: THE SANDWICH GRIDDLE STEP IS FOR MELTING CHEESE AND TOASTING BREAD, NOT FOR COOKING RAW CHICKEN. The rest also lets steam escape so the cutlet doesn't soften the bread once it is inside.
- Built - marinara, cutlet, mozzarella1/2 cup MARINARA spread on two of the 4 THICK SLICES OF COUNTRY BREAD, each topped with a COOKED CHICKEN CUTLET and half of the 6 oz of SHREDDED LOW-MOISTURE MOZZARELLA, then CLOSED WITH THE REMAINING BREAD. Low-moisture mozzarella stretches without flooding the bread.
- Griddled low and slow2 tbsp SOFTENED BUTTER on the outsides and GRIDDLED OVER MEDIUM-LOW HEAT UNTIL THE COUNTRY BREAD IS DARK GOLDEN AND THE MOZZARELLA IS FULLY MELTED, 3 TO 4 MINUTES PER SIDE. Medium-low is what lets thick bread and a thick filling finish together - higher heat burns the outside while the cheese is still cold.
Success Tips
- Check the cutlets with a thermometer before assembling — the griddle won't finish them.
- Keep the griddle at medium-low so the cheese melts before the bread burns.
- Spread the butter right to the edges of the bread for an even golden crust.
Serving Ideas
Two thick grilled cheese sandwiches on dark-toasted country bread, cut and stacked to show a golden breaded chicken cutlet, red marinara and stretching melted mozzarella.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put raw chicken in and cook it on the griddle?
No. The cutlets must reach 165°F in the skillet first. The griddle step only toasts the bread and melts the cheese — it can't cook raw chicken through.
What bread works best?
Thick country bread. It holds the cutlet and melted cheese and toasts to a dark golden crust without going soggy.
Can I use fresh mozzarella?
Low-moisture mozzarella is better here. Fresh mozzarella releases water and softens the bread from the inside.
