Heat oven to 350°F and spray a 7×11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat a large skillet, over medium heat, and add the olive oil and butter. Add the chopped onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent and tender. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook 30 seconds until the garlic has blossomed and is fragrant. Transfer the onion and garlic to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
Place the ground chuck in the skillet and cook until browned. Drain the fat from the beef in a mesh colander and return the beef to the skillet. Add the onion/garlic mixture, salt, pepper taco seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, cider vinegar, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
Mix well and bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and add the beans, mix well. Simmer, stirring often, for 15-20minutes or until the mixture has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste, with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. *Keep in mind, Fritos are very salty and so is cheese, so use salt lightly.
To prepare the casserole:
Place 2 cups corn chips in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, taco meat, 1 cup cheese, and another 2 cups corn chips.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until the casserole is heated throughout.
Serve with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro and/or your other favorite taco toppings.
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1 cup olive oil for frying
½ cup prepared tomato sauce
¼ cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup grated provolone cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Step 1 Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Step 2 Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper.
Step 3 Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Step 4 Mix bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside.
Step 5 Place flour in a sifter or strainer; sprinkle over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides.
Step 6 Dip flour coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Set aside breaded chicken breasts for about 15 minutes.
Step 7 Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
Step 8 Place chicken in a baking dish and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 9 Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
2-3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed citrus juice any combination of lemon, lime, or orange (see note)
Spice Blend
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika see note
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and stir together all Spice Blend ingredients.
Pound chicken to even thickness (max 1 inch thickness at any given part).
Rub the 2 teaspoons olive oil all over the chicken breasts. Season all over with the spice blend.
In a large, oven-safe skillet (see note for alternate method) melt butter over medium heat and stir in 1 tablespoon oil.
Brown chicken in the butter and oil for about 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees in the center).
Squeeze fresh citrus (lemon, lime, orange, or a combination of any of the three!) over baked chicken just before serving. Serve whole chicken breasts, or dice or slice chicken for use in your favorite dishes.
