I swear by Ina Garten's 20-minute Parmesan chicken. It's my go-to weeknight dinner that requires only a few ingredients.

Ina Garten's Parmesan chicken cutlets are the star of an easy dinner for any weeknight when you want to feel fancy without doing too much work.

Tiffany Leigh I make a version of Ina Garten's pan-fried Parmesan chicken on most Monday nights.

The easy weeknight dinner requires a few ingredients, including chicken breasts and grated Parmesan.

I love using my leftover chicken cutlets in lunches throughout the week, too.

The return of the workweek can be a drag, but juicy, pan-fried chicken breasts with a crunchy, cheesy exterior always help.

On Monday nights, you'll usually find me whipping up a version of Ina Garten's Parmesan chicken for my toddler and partner.

Luckily, the flavorful dish is incredibly easy to make — and I often already have most of the ingredients in my kitchen.

The prep is key to a seamless cooking process I cut my chicken breasts before pounding them.

Tiffany Leigh Don't be intimidated by the "intermediate level" description in this recipe on the Barefoot Contessa site — it's not actually difficult to make this dish.

And, all in all, it usually takes me about 20 minutes to get this meal on the table.

Once I've got my ingredients set out — chicken breasts, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, seasoned bread crumbs, eggs, finely grated Parmesan cheese, unsalted butter, and olive oil — I begin my "mise en place." The French culinary phrase roughly translates to "everything in its place," and this time-saving step involves preparing and measuring out all ingredients before you begin cooking.

I used a jar of peanut butter in place of a mallet.

Tiffany Leigh First, the boneless, skinless chicken breasts must be pounded thin until they're about a ¼-inch thick.

To make this easier and require less elbow grease, I cut them in half vertically before pounding them out.