Baked Chicken and Zucchini

Tis the season for zucchini! Well, the end of the season anyway. But I eat zucchini all year long. And this new recipe that I've come across is a now family favorite that I'll be making often through out the whole year. I found the original recipe at Taste of Home, but I added a little of this and that to make it my own. You can easily switch it up too. Less zucchini, more tomato, no mushrooms, whatever you like or dislike. It's easy to throw together and the results are delicious. This serves 4.

You'll need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup bread crumbs, I used Panko
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
salt and pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup sliced mushroom (about 8)
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

In a shallow bowl, beat egg, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Combine the Italian seasoning with the bread crumbs, and set  aside 2-3 tablespoons of it.  Place the remaining crumbs in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in bag and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons oil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute zucchini and peppers in remaining oil until crisp-tender; drain. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Sprinkle the reserved bread crumbs over the zucchini. Top with tomato slices and mushrooms and sprinkle with 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and a little salt. Top with chicken. Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!