Paneed chicken with prosciutto, basil and cheese toppings

I love to cook with cast iron.  Cast iron Lodge Logic L14SK3 Pre-Seasoned 15 Inch Cast-Iron Skilletcan quickly transfer from the stove to the oven/broiler to finish off this meal.  Depending on the number of servings you may need to use a cookie sheet to finish this recipe.  The recipe assumes you are using an oven safe pan.

What is paneed?  Years ago while traveling cross country my wife and I had a few days in New Orleans....this was way before Katrina.  Our waiter, "Bear", was asked what is paneed?  His response, "Chicken cooked in a pan." The place was so good we returned the next night.  I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant.

Prep and cook time: About 20 mins

Ingredients: (for 1)
1 chicken breast (or two/three skinless/boneless chicken thighs)
Slice(s) of prosciutto or ham large enough to cover chicken
Handful of basil (love my plant growing on our deck)
Handful of cheese (sharper is better) to cover chicken
2-3 tablespoons of butter
Salt (I prefer fresh ground sea salt)

Optional
1/4 cup Bread crumbs (gluten free is preferred or Ian's Natural Food Panko Breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup Heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat pan 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Place chicken in a heavy duty plastic bag
4. Place bag on a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel 
5. Now comes the fun part, pound the chicken flat...use a meat tenderizer, can of food, bottle of wine, rolling pin, whatever you have that is heavy - should need about a dozen hits  
6. Add butter to pan and melt over medium heat
7. Pour bread crumbs into a bowl and season with sea salt
8. Pour 1/4 cup of cream into a bowl, remove chicken from bag and drench in cream
9. Transfer creamed chicken into the bread crumbs bowl and cover chicken with bread crumbs
10. Place chicken into pan of hot, melted butter 
11. Cook chicken for about three minutes over medium heat and then flip, cooking for about another three minutes (cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken)
12. Turn off heat
13. Place prosciutto on top of chicken, then basil leaves and finally a hand full of cheese (This picture is extra breasts I broiled on a cookie sheet)
14. Place pan in oven and turn on broiler
15. Broiler for about two minutes until the cheese is melted, slightly browned and bubbling (Love using cast iron)

You can skip 7-9 (the creaming and bread crumbing of the chicken) if you wish to avoid the carbs/gluten/wheat.  Just season the chicken with a little salt when you add it to the pan