In Defense of Chicken Parm

I don’t know where to find the results of the food bracket or even if the tournament has taken place yet, but that it not the point of this piece.

I distinctly remember Professor Moritz, proclaiming rather flippantly in class something to the effect of, “chicken parm is consistently overrated at (whatever seed it happens to be).” I was immediately overcome with a feeling of betrayal and bewilderment.

Chicken Parm, if it is not already, should be ranked as a number one seed and the odds-on favorite to win the championship.

Just the term “chicken parmesan” highlights its inherent versatility. I have often ordered this exquisite dish at restaurants with a piece of fried chicken topped with, believe or not, provolone cheese over pasta and spaghetti sauce.

Just as I could order chicken parmesan in the aforementioned high class variety in a four star restaurant, I can order a chicken parm sub from Oswego sub shop, sans pasta, for less than $10 and be just as satisfied.

When I go to lunch at Cooper dining hall and not particularly interested in the vegan tortellini, I am pleasantly surprised when “chicken parm sauce” is one of the pasta options for the day. This is a refreshing twist on a classic, combining small bits of grilled chicken and various spices with traditional Italian sauce — also terrific.

In this short blog post I have, off the top of my head, provided three examples of the different ways this dish can be prepared. It is so simple at its core — chicken, cheese, sauce — yet so easily tinkered to great success with very little risk. The options are, forgive the cliché, endless.

If chicken parm is good enough for Peyton Manning and Nationwide Insurance’s bottomless pits of money for advertisements, it is good enough for me.