Low-Fructose & Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
Servings: 4
Prep Time Cook Time Total Time
25 minutes 25 minutes 50 minutes
Ingredients
4 chicken breast cutlets or 2 chicken breasts cut in half crosswise
1/4 cup potato starch or corn starch
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon each:
basil
oregano
thyme
crushed red pepper flakes (low-FODMAP in small servings)
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon spinach powder or 1/2 fresh spinach, finely chopped (see notes)
2 eggs
1/4 cup garlic-infused olive oil (favorite brands here)
1/2 cup low-FODMAP marinara sauce (I used Fody Spicy Marinara) (plus more to serve, if desired)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 package of gluten-free pasta (favorite brands here)
Extra butter, parmesan, and/or marinara to serve
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
If you’re using chicken breasts, cut them in half crosswise so that you have four thin chicken cutlets. If needed, use a meat mallet to achieve even thickness throughout.
Combine the gluten-free flour and potato starch in a wide bowl or on a plate.
Whisk the eggs in a wide bowl.
Mix the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan, spinach powder or spinach (see notes), and spices in another wide bowl or on a plate.
Dredge each piece of chicken first in the flour, then in the eggs, and then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to secure.
Heat the garlic-infused olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the breaded chicken breast cutlets, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side until they start to brown. They do not need to be cooked through. While they are cooking, start a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lay the chicken cutlets side by side and spoon 2 tablespoons of low-FODMAP marinara sauce over the top of each one. Then, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake for roughly 15 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly and starting to brown. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Cooking time will depend on how thick your cutlets are.
While the chicken is baking, cook your pasta according to package instructions. Chop the fresh basil.
To serve, add butter, garlic-infused olive oil, and/or parmesan to your pasta (or more marinara if you can tolerate it). Add a chicken cutlet on the side and sprinkle fresh basil over the entire dish. Enjoy!
Fructose Forward
This would be delicious with some roasted cherry tomatoes mixed into your pasta. Drizzle them with garlic-infused olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then add them to the baking sheet before you put it in the oven.
Fine with Fructose?
I would definitely add garlic powder and onion powder to the spice mix. You can also use glutenous bread crumbs and/or pasta, as well as whatever pasta sauce sounds good.
Notes
Spinach: I’m always looking for ways to sneak low-fructose vegetables into meals. I dehydrated several cups of spinach by laying it out on a cookie sheet in the oven at 170° for about 3 hours. Then, I ground it into a powder in my blender. 1 tablespoon of spinach powder is equivalent to a 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and contains nearly all of the original nutrients! You can also buy spinach powder. Or, finely chop some fresh spinach and add that to the bread crumb and spice mixture.
