"Welsh" Chicken Parmigiana --- SUPER SIMPLE, NO-FUSS!

This is an easy, modern, "semi-homemade" British recipe, that I have adapted from one of my American favourites. It consists of four basic elements; fresh or frozen chicken kievs, jarred pasta sauce, grated cheese, and pre-cooked spaghetti. 

Other additions can be put in, such as sautéed peppers and onions, mushrooms, etc. 

You may also use a different grated cheese; one of my favourite alternatives is Red Leicester. 

If you are gluten intolerant, you can nix the breaded fillets and go for plain; use another brand of sauce, that is *known* to be "free-from"; and substitute cellophane (rice vermicelli) noodles for the spaghetti. 

The brand of sauce I am using (Lidl's "Combino") has all gluten-free ingredients, with no thickeners. It doesn't specify on the label, as to whether it is GF, or not - but I see no wheat products warnings in the allergy information (only "nuts" and "sesame"). Use at your own risk!

This Parmigiana recipe is better than any you will eat in a chain restaurant, I promise ---- and it is super-easy to knock together in a short time, if you tend to keep these ingredients on hand. 

Serve this with a toasted garlic baguette, and a green vegetable.

A warning - the brands of products I use, have been chosen through a long process of trial and error! Do not expect for yours to turn out as good as mine, if you use another brand of sauce! I really don't like Dolmio, in particular (my apologies to the makers, and any fans who are reading), and none of their varieties are suitable for this particular dish! Their sauces are far tooooo acidic! 

For this recipe, you will need:

• 2 fresh or frozen Chicken Kiev fillets (or plain, unbreaded fillets will also do, if you are gluten-free)

• 1 jar of Combino brand (sold in Aldi stores) Chunky Vegetable pasta sauce (be sure it's this variety!)

• 114 grams of shredded mature Welsh cheddar

• Dried "Italian" or "garlic and herb" seasoning (optional)

Have ready:

• Two servings worth of cooked spaghetti. Drain it well, add a drop of oil and toss (to keep it from sticking), and keep it ready in a warm place;

***OR*** 

• Two servings worth of rice vermicelli (cellophane noodles), prepared as directed on the package (these noodles are available at any Oriental grocery), drained well, and mixed with a tiny drop of oil. "Lung Kow" is my favourite brand.

• Your favourite green vegetable (steamed broccoli, sauteed and seasoned green beans, etc.)
• A loaf of crusty garlic bread.

To prepare it:

• Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.

• Open the jar of sauce, and dump half of it into the baking dish.

• Now, sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar evenly, onto the sauce. If using the herb seasoning, sprinkle them over this layer.

• Place the fillets on top of the layer of sauce.

• Take your leftover sauce, and pour it around the fillets, just getting some onto them, but leaving them mostly exposed (so the exposed breading crisps slightly in the oven).

• Sprinkle the leftover cheese sparsely and evenly on top of the fillets and sauce.

• (Sprinkle with more Italian dried herbs, if using)

• Cover with the lid, and bake on the centre rack, at 150 degrees Centigrade, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

• Put a serving of noodles onto each plate. Slide a smothered fillet on top of each nest of noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce around the fillets.

• Serve with the vegetable and bread.

ENJOY the best (and easiest) pseudo-Italian dish, ever.