Baked Crispy Parmesan Chicken Breasts

I got this recipe from a kitchen meeting I attended the other day, only I tweaked it just a bit. Our meeting was about healthy recipes and this was one of them, I made it the next day to go with a pasta side dish I tried out of my food network magazine (which I won't make again) and we loved the chicken!! It's great with a pasta dish, or you can turn it into Chicken Parmigiana (which they did at the meeting I was at) see variation below the recipe! Enjoy!

Baked Crispy Parmesan Chicken Breasts
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup Kraft House Italian Dressing
1 cup Panko Bread crumbs ( usually found in the Asian section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the chicken breasts in a gallon zip-loc bag (if your chicken breasts are really thick like mine were, butterfly them by cutting clear through the thickest part, making two thin breasts) Pour the Italian Dressing in the bag with the chicken, zip it shut, and mush the chicken and dressing around so the chicken is thoroughly coated. Let marinate for a few hours ( I did this part on my lunch break so it would be ready to cook when I got home from work).
After marinating, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. In a shallow dish or plate, combine the Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Take one chicken breast at a time and place in the crumb mixture, slightly pressing it into the crumbs so they stick. Place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the chicken has been coated, bake for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is done and the crumbs are golden and browned around the edges.
Remove from oven and serve with steamed veggies!

Chicken Parmigiana

To make into a Chicken Parmigiana prepare the chicken as above but place in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and pour your favorite marinara sauce over the top. Sprinkle with about a cup of grated Mozzarella cheese and about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese has melted. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti noodles. Yumalicious!