Although you won't find this dish in most authentic Italian cookbooks, Kraft has come up with a quick and easy way to prepare an oven-baked chicken Parmesan your family will love.

Six ingredients, five minutes of preparation and 25 minutes in the oven are all it takes to get this delicious entree on the table. Boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves are coated in Original Chicken Seasoned Shake 'N Bake coating mix. They're baked for 20 minutes, then topped with your favorite spaghetti sauce, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and dried oregano.

Using the Shake 'N Bake coating mix saves several steps in the preparation of this dish. Traditionally, you would dip the chicken first in flour, then in beaten egg and last in seasoned bread crumbs. Rather than baking the breasts, you would brown them in a skillet in oil before placing them in a baking dish to finish cooking in the oven. This process alone would take the 25 minutes required to bake up this version because the chicken would have to be cooked in two batches.

Top off the chicken with a can or jar of spaghetti sauce. I like to combine a can of drained, Italian-seasoned tomatoes with regular spaghetti sauce for a sauce that comes close to homemade marinara. Since you only need 2 cups of it, you can save the extra sauce to top a pizza crust later in the week or toss it with pasta to serve as a side dish.

Kraft's recipe for chicken Parmesan calls for using Shake 'N Bake coating mix in place of bread crumbs and frying. SPECIAL

The dish also can be prepared without spaghetti sauce. One of the "company" recipes my mother often prepares consists of boneless breast halves breaded, then browned in a skillet and topped with sliced mozzarella cheese and canned, sliced mushrooms before baking.

The Shake 'N Bake could easily be used in place of the bread crumbs and frying.Coat the chicken in the Shake 'N Bake and bake for 20 minutes. Then top each breast with a slice of mozzarella and some sliced, canned mushrooms. Drizzle the liquid from the mushrooms on the bottom of the baking dish along with half a cup of dry white or Marsala wine, dry sherry or chicken broth.

This dish can be prepared ahead, covered and refrigerated. Simply add the juice from the canned mushrooms and liquid before baking at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve your oven-baked chicken Parmesan with cooked pasta, bagged salad greens tossed with a favorite dressing and store-prepared garlic bread for a quick family dinner.

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

1 packet Shake 'N Bake Original Chicken Seasoned Coating Mix

2 cups spaghetti sauce

Nutritional data: (per serving)

Calories: 520 Total Fat: 16.7 g      Saturated Fat: 8.4 g Cholesterol: 50.5 mg Sodium: 1,155 mg Total Carbs: 26.6 g      Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g Protein: 60.6 g

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat chicken breasts with mix according to package directions. Place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish* and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses, return to the oven, and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings.

*Line bottom of baking dish with foil for easy clean-up.

Nutrient analysis provided by registered dietitians of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to augustadietitian@yahoo.com.

Karin Calloway is the online chef for Viking Range Corp. (www.vikingrange.com) and a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. You can write her in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@home.com.