Chicken Costoletta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

We don't go often to the Cheesecake Factory, usually once or maybe twice a year. But whenever we do, my daughter and I always get the same thing: Chicken Costoletta; which is basically a chicken cutlet with a creamy lemon sauce. I think she's a lot like me in the sense that we don't like to have a lot of choices. Give me 3-5 things to choose from and I'll pick one. Give me 100, I go for the simplest thing I can find. If you have never been to their restaurant, their menu is huge with a lot of different varieties of food to choose from. Each time we go, we'll spend some time looking at the menu and then always wind up getting the same thing we normally do. We always say we'll split one entree, but like I said, we don't go often so we forget how big their portion sizes are and always wind up taking the majority of the meal home x 2.

So recently I decided to surprise her for dinner one night and make our favorite Cheesecake Factory dish at home. This recipe for Chicken Costoletta was definitely a close second to the original and had all of the same flavors we love. On the healthy scale? Not so much, but I'm a sucker for anything lemon. The recipe looks a little intimidating with a lot of ingredients, but it really isn't any more difficult than breading and frying chicken cutlets. Most of the ingredients I already had on hand in my pantry except for the heavy cream. I don't buy that unless I know specifically what I'm using it for. If you want to lighten this up a bit, I'm sure fat free half and half would work just as well.  ~Enjoy!




Chicken Costoletta 
(Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Prep Time: 20 minutes  Cook Time: 20 minutes  Servings: 4 (2 pieces)

Ingredients
For the Chicken

• 8 - 2(ounce) Chicken Tenderloins
• 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 Lemon, zest 
• 1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
• 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Butter

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. Milk
• 3/4 c. Heavy Cream
• 1/4 c. Fat Free Chicken Stock
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 1 tbsp. Butter

Directions
For the Chicken

1. Using a meat mallet, flatten the tenderloins so that they are even in thickness. 
2. Gather three bowls. In one, place the flour. In the second, add the eggs and whisk them with a fork. In the third, combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and cheese. 
3. Coat each piece of chicken first in the flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumb mixture. 
4. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Once melted and hot, add the chicken to the pan and fry on both sides until cooked through; approximately 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness. You may need to do this in two batches.
5. Remove chicken from the pan and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Set aside. 

For the Sauce

1. Melt the oil in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat and add the garlic. 
2. Saute 1-2 minutes then whisk in the flour. 
3. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, chicken stock and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened; approximately 3-5 minutes.
4. Next, stir in the butter and pour desired amount of sauce over the chicken. 

Nutrition Facts per Serving
Calories 503, Carbs 25.9g, Fat 33.7g, Protein 26.3g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.