The Cook’s Kitchen

A few months ago, I discovered the wonder that is Panko bread crumbs.  Once I discovered that I could make crispy chicken and fish dishes without frying them, I was sold!  So, when the opportunity to try Progresso’s new Panko bread crumbs, I jumped up and said “pick me!”.

I received both varieties of Progresso’s Panko Bread Crumbs, Original and Italian seasoned.  Since I’ve made so many dishes in the past with traditional Panko bread crumbs, I decided I’d open the Italian seasoned one’s for this taste test.

Upon opening the foil-lined bag, I immediately noticed the scent of the Italian seasonings. It is a much brighter scent that what I recall when opening the regular seasoned bread crumb packages.  That may be due to the foil liner, but regardless of the reason it was a pleasant scent and gave me an idea of what was to come when my dish was completed.

As in the past, I prepared my chicken in the usual manner, dredging in flour seasoned with onion powder and paprika.  Next, in the egg mixture followed by the Panko bread crumbs.  I loved the way the Panko bread crumbs stuck to the chicken pieces and made them look crispy before baking.  The Panko crumbs had flecks of seasoning throughout which made the chicken look well-seasoned.  I also sprayed each piece with cooking spray, which is what I usually do when baking breaded chicken to ensure that it will become lightly browned on top.

The result was a delicious crispy chicken that everyone at my dinner table loved!  Each piece was nice and crispy and the Italian seasoning was an excellent addition.  For the time-crunched family, this is a simple way to make a delicious dinner without a lot of extra work.

The only downside to the product that I found was that for the size of the box, there is only 8 ounces of bread crumbs in it.  This was only slightly more than I needed for coating two regular sized chicken breasts cut into strips.  So, when purchasing, I would suggest getting an extra box if you are going to be making dinner for more than a family of four - with only 2 small children.

Progresso’s Panko Bread Crumbs are now available nationwide and can be found in the bread aisle of your grocery store.

Product photo courtesy of Progresso.