Don’t you hate when your baked chicken cutlets are dry? I’ve found that putting the creamy ricotta filling inside of the cutlet helps moisten the chicken. By open- ing up the cutlet, you allow it to be cooked through more quickly — while the creamy filling tucked inside only has to be heated through.
1. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, basil, and salt.
2. Lay each cutlet flat and cut a pocket into the widest part. Fill the pocket with about 1/4 C. of the cheese filling.
3. Place crumbs in a shallow bowl and dip each cutlet into them.
4. Heat the olive oil and whole garlic cloves in a medium skillet over medium heat and brown the breaded cutlets just until golden brown.
5. Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into a casserole dish that is large enough to hold the cutlets side by side. Place the browned cutlets in the casserole dish, and top with a few more tablespoons of sauce.
6. Bake uncovered at 375° F (190° C) for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake 10 minutes more.
Variation: Reduce ricotta cheese to 1 1/2 C. and add 1/2-2/3 C. chopped, cooked spinach to the mixture. This can be leftover spinach, or sauté it in a little olive oil and garlic.