Parmesan Crusted Flounder

Looking to add more seafood in the new year? This Parmesan Crusted Flounder is an easy weeknight meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Make it for dinner tonight!

It’s still the beginning of the ‘New Year’ and there are lots of articles online on ‘How To Eat Healthy in the New Year’. The new year is just that, a fresh start, a time when you can make new goals and get that jump start for whatever area of health you’re looking to improve. When it comes to nutrition I always challenge people to think about just *one* thing that they can change/add that will improve their health. So, I ask you right now – “What’s the one thing you can do/change/ add that will help to improve your health and help you feel better?

If you said ‘eat more seafood’ then this recipe is for you! I can never tell you what your goal/resolution/habit is, but if I could make a suggestion, it’d be to add more seafood to your diet. We’ve all heard there are benefits to including seafood in our diet: reduced risk of heart disease, that it may reduce the risk of stroke, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic conditions, just to name a few.

And while flounder, the fish I used in this recipe, is on the leaner side and contains less of the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, it is seafood and a lean animal protein. I used flounder because for me it doesn’t taste fishy, is quite mild in fact, and also is reasonable in cost. And for those wondering why I’m eating fish you can read about how/when I started including seafood here. If I’ve convinced you to eat more seafood, read on for the recipe!

Ingredients: Parmesan Crusted Flounder

The other reason I love incorporating more seafood is that it generally doesn’t take much time to cook. If you’re looking for ‘quick weeknight meals’ seafood is a win win for that!

1. Parmesan: I buy the block of Parmesan and grate it myself. Not all of the Parmesan sticks perfectly in this recipe to the fish, but it does cook up and give a nice crisp edge.
2. Garlic: I used fresh garlic vs garlic powder. Use whatever you have on hand.
3. Lemon Juice. I squeezed fresh lemon juice, but if you have the little squeeze bottled juice you can use that as well. Fresh will have a bit more flavor.
4. Flounder: As noted, I used flounder here in this recipe. Mild in taste but with the parmesan, garlic, and lemon, it’s full of flavor! & yes, parmesan does contribute some saturated fat here, but remember to consider your whole day’s intake vs just one meal.

How To Make Parmesan Crusted Flounder

These are rough estimates. ‘Rough’ because not all the bread crumbs will stick perfectly. I tend to overestimate the amount vs having too little. You also want the fish to be completely covered. This is a nice general guide to get you going. The Parmesan cheese getting crisp on the edges is where it’s all at!

1. Coat the sheet pan: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the sheet pan. Use a silicone spatula to spread it evenly on the pan. This will help to ensure that the flounder doesn’t stick to the pan. I didn’t try and use cooking spray in this recipe, I used actual oil.
2. Grate the cheese and garlic: Grate your cheese and garlic. You’re going to combine this with the bread crumbs and black pepper.
3. Juice your lemon: Microwave your lemon for 15-20 seconds on high (depending on the strength of your microwave). Juice your lemon.
4. Mix all the dry ingredients: Mix together on a plate or a shallow baking dish the parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup bread crumbs (reserve the other 1/4 cup), garlic, and pepper.
5. Coat the fish: I tried this numerous times and because there is no egg wash and flour to coat the fish, much of the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese do not stick well. What I found works best is to have the fish on the sheet pan, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top and press as much as you can into the fish. Flip quickly. Yes, some will fall off, but simply add the remaining bread crumb mixture on top and press down as much as you can. I added a tad more bread crumbs and picked up what fell off and added it to the top
6. Drizzle: Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the tops of the fish. Finish with drizzling the lemon juice on the top of the fish as well.
7. Bake: Bake at 425˚F for 18-20 minutes until fish is golden. Some of the cheese may start to smell burnt, but as I said before that crispy Parmesan cheese is everything!

OTHER EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS:

• Sheet Pan Gnocchi
• Hoisin Shrimp
• Sheet Pan Shrimp
• Shrimp Packets

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