Chicken Pepperoni

This is a delectable dish - especially when you have a bit of pepperoni left over in the fridge and you are all pizza-ed out. (If that ever happens?) I made it for David once when we were engaged and it's been a favorite ever since. Its not something that we eat every other week, but it's delicious to pull out every once in a while.

Chicken Pepperoni
Source: Adapted from About.com

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts/tenders
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ounces pepperoni, sliced in thin rounds (8 slices)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten the chicken breasts to about 1/2-inch thickness. In a shallow skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the oregano and garlic powder. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with the bread crumbs. Saute in the olive oil until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the chicken cutlets to a baking dish. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the tomato, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking pan. Place the slices of pepperoni on top of each cutlet. Sprinkle the tops with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until the cheese melts and just begins to brown.

*Sometimes I supplement the sauce with a can of Hunts Spaghetti sauce - we like to serve the chicken over spaghetti or fettucini and so we like there to be a little more sauce available.