Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce — A Schnitzel Sunday in the Off-Season

The Packers lost in the NFC Championship game. Dad was devastated. Well, Dad was quiet, which for Tom Kowalski is devastated. He sat in his recliner for the entire fourth quarter without moving, and when the game ended he turned off the TV, stood up, and said, "See you next season." Then he went to bed at 6:30 PM. Mom texted me later: "Your father hasn't spoken since the game. He'll be fine by Tuesday." He was fine by Wednesday, actually. Kowalski men grieve for football the same way they grieve for everything: silently, briefly, and then they move on. Without the Packers, Sundays have a gap in them. I filled it this week by trying a new recipe: pork schnitzel. I've had Babcia's version a thousand times — thin pork cutlet, breaded and fried until golden — and I thought it couldn't be that hard. It's not that hard. But it's harder than it looks to get the cutlet thin enough (you pound it with a meat mallet, or in my case, a heavy pan wrapped in plastic wrap because I don't own a meat mallet), the breading even (flour, egg, breadcrumbs, in that order), and the fry right (medium heat, not too much oil, not too little). My schnitzel was decent. A little thick in spots, a little unevenly breaded, but golden and crispy and satisfying with a squeeze of lemon and a pile of mashed potatoes. I took a photo and texted it to Mom. She responded with eight exclamation points and the prayer hands emoji, which is Mom's way of saying "my son is not going to starve." At the brewery, we're deep into winter production. I'm assistant on a new Baltic porter — dark, malty, complex, the kind of beer that keeps you warm on a January night. Marcus is letting me handle more of the process. I'm monitoring fermentation on my own now, making adjustments, learning to trust my palate. "Your palate is your best tool," Marcus says. "Trust it." I visited Danny's grave on Wednesday. January visits are the hardest — the cemetery is frozen and white and empty. I brushed snow off the headstone and stood there for a while. I told him about the Packers loss. He would have been furious. He was a bigger fan than Dad, which is saying something. I miss watching games with him. I miss a lot of things. Sunday at Babcia's: bigos again. She makes it every January because, as she says, "bigos is how you survive winter." I believe her. Three bowls. Surviving.

I didn’t quite nail Babcia’s schnitzel on the first try — a little thick in spots, a little uneven — but the urge to bread something, fry it golden, and feel that satisfying crunch didn’t go away after one attempt. This Parmesan Crusted Chicken scratches exactly that same itch: a thin cutlet, a crispy coating, and this time a herb butter sauce that Babcia would probably not approve of but that I think is absolutely worth it. On a January Sunday without a Packers game to anchor the afternoon, this was the kind of cooking that makes the hours feel purposeful again.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Herb Butter Sauce:
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. This ensures even cooking and a proper cutlet texture.
2. Set up the breading station. Arrange three shallow bowls: one with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with beaten eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Bread the chicken. Working one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg allowing the excess to drip off, then press firmly into the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides evenly.
4. Pan-fry the cutlets. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the breaded cutlets in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook 4–5 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
5. Make the herb butter sauce. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and let it melt. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in parsley, thyme, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape up any browned bits from the pan — those add flavor.
6. Serve. Spoon herb butter sauce over the chicken cutlets and serve immediately. Goes well with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 485 | Protein: 46g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 620mg