Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8×11½-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
• If the breasts are uneven in thickness, place each breast inside a Ziplock bag on a flat surface and pound to an even ¾–1-inch thickness.
• Reserve ½ cup of the 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping; use the remaining 1 cup for coating the chicken.
• Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with the 1 cup grated Parmesan and with all of the ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup Caesar salad dressing and ½ cup sour cream (use the sour cream only if desired). If you omit the sour cream, use the 1 cup Caesar dressing alone.
• Pour the Caesar/sour cream mixture evenly over the chicken breasts in the pan.
• Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup grated Parmesan over the tops of the coated breasts.
• Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a middle breast reads 150°F.
• Switch the oven to broil and broil the chicken 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until the tops are golden brown and the thermometer registers 165°F in the thickest part.
• Remove the pan from the oven, loosely tent the chicken with foil, and let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.