Preheat the oven to broil at step 5 when cooking the chicken. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the homemade marinara sauce:

In a saucepan, sauté the finely chopped onion with 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tsp oil until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Add the minced garlic, cubed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

Puree the tomatoes with a hand-held blender until smooth.

Pour the pureed marinara back into the saucepan and simmer on low heat until reheated.

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Lightly beat each half with a meat mallet until even in thickness and tenderized.

In 3 separate bowls, combine the ingredients for bowl 1, bowl 2, and bowl 3, respectively.

Dredge the chicken into the flour mixture, then into the second bowl into the egg mixture, and finally into bowl 3 the breadcrumb mixture, coating the chicken generously.

In a large skillet, heat 3 Tbsp of oil over med/high. Once the skillet is hot, carefully add the chicken. (Don't overcrowd the pan to ensure a good sear, cook in two batches if needed.)

Cook the chicken until it is crispy and fully cooked, or about 2-3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, preheat the oven.

Add the chicken breast to a baking sheet. Top each piece of chicken with marinara and the cheese.

Bake the chicken for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.

Generously garnish the chicken with fresh basil.

Serve and enjoy, friends!