Valentines Day Dinner: Heart Shaped Chicken Parmesan w/ Vermicelli & Garlic Toast

Every year on Valentine's Day my husband makes me the same dish - heart shaped chicken parmesan.  Before he became an Electrician, he was a cook.  I remember when we first started dating he would bring me yummy dishes that he made at work - usually items of his own creation.   I love it when he cooks for me, and I love it even more when he makes me this dish!  This dish also goes well with caesar salad, and of course WINE.  :) 

Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 jar of your favourite spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 cup mozza (we like Saputo)
- 1-2 tbsp parmesan cheese (use real cheese)
- 2 servings (170 g dry) vermicelli (or your favourite noodle)
- sprinkle of parsley, for garnish

Garlic Toast
- 4 slices french bread
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp oregano

Directions

Grate cheeses and place in separate dishes.  Set aside. 

Butterfly cut chicken to give it the heart shape.  Trim as necessary.

Preheat frying pan over medium heat.  Add 1 tsp of olive oil and cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, until each side is golden brown and chicken is cooked throughout. 

Preaheat oven to 400 degrees and place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.  Spread a few tbsp of spaghetti sauce over each chicken breast.  You want to spread a nice even amount, and not so much that it is dripping down the sides. 

Sprinkle chicken breasts with cheeses.  Start with the mozza and sprinkle evenly over the chicken breasts.  Finish with the parmesan (this cheese will brown nicely given the chicken parmesan a nice golden colour).   You may need to use more or less cheese depending on the size of your chicken breasts. 

Bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese is nice and bubbly and the cheese has turned golden brown.

Sprinkle with parsley for garnish.

Garlic Toast:

Combine ingredients and spread a thin layer of butter on garlic toast (You will have some garlic butter left over you will use to toss with the cooked pasta).  Place toast in oven with chicken 1/2 way through the cooking time (about 5 minutes).  

Cook vermicelli as per package directions.  Strain and return to pot.  Add remaining garlic butter and pasta sauce and combine until warmed throughout. 

Enjoy!

Here are a few pictures of my husband and I throughout the years. 

At a friend's wedding around the time we first started dating. 

In front of the church in Ontario that Marc's grandparents were married at that was taken on the trip we got engaged on. 

At our wedding on July 29, 2006.

The most recent photo of the two of us - this was taken by Just For You Photography this past September.