Give Chicken Parm A Southern-Style Makeover With One Bold Ingredient Swap

Classic Southern fried green tomatoes, crisped to perfection in a seasoned cast-iron skillet, are a thing of beauty. Whether served as is with a dollop of creamy rémoulade (or even hot sauce), or replacing the "T" in a BLT, they're one of the best ways to use up underripe tomatoes — especially when your tomato cup runneth over during their summertime peak. And because they can be served or swapped in for so many different dishes, there's another clever way to use them: give them the chicken parmesan treatment.

Crispy and creamy chicken parm is a simple, satisfying dish that takes just a few ingredients and easy steps to make at home. There are plenty of substitutions worth their weight in parmesan glory, including veal, eggplant, and mushrooms, all of which get the breaded treatment before being doused in marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella and parmesan, and thrown under the broiler until melty and golden (or, skip the broiler and head straight to the deep fryer to cut your cooking time in half). Replacing the chicken with a tart fried green tomato is a no-brainer, yielding the same satisfying result while leaving plenty of room to adapt the dish to your desired flavor profile.

There are a few tips to heed for this Southern-style makeover. Make sure your tomatoes are firm to the touch and completely green, and make sure to liberally salt them prior to dredging to draw out any excess moisture. Just like with classic chicken parm, the process afterward is simple — and the dredging station is crucial to the process. For the crispiest results, set up all-purpose flour in one bowl; eggs, whisked with a tablespoon of water (or hot sauce, again), in another; and a mix of cornmeal and panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper. A number of spices, too, can be added to the breadcrumb mixture, including smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder, for even more flavor. Working in batches, dip each tomato slice first in the flour, followed by the egg mixture, and finally in the cornmeal-panko mixture. 

You can then pan-fry the tomatoes in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet as you would the chicken. Pan frying dredged green tomatoes over deep frying also ensures less grease and maximum green tomato flavor. Make sure to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate after to drain off any excess grease — you don't want them to get soggy. The glorious fried green tomatoes will be ready to go on a sheet pan from there, and be topped with a thin layer of marinara sauce (too much will make them mushy). If you like some heat, you can also swap the marinara with spicy Buffalo sauce for a perfect Southern game day treat. Add a generous handful of freshly grated mozzarella and parmesan, place them under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and golden, and your Southern-inspired parmesan is served.