Q: I had the pleasure of eating a chicken entree at a restaurant that I would like to duplicate at home. It was a crusty chicken breast with some type of Parmesan cheese coating and it was served with some sort of seasoned gravy. My whole family really enjoys your recipes each week. Please help us with this request.

A: Let's call this lighter chicken entree Parmesan Chicken With Creamy Sage Sauce. (I have to call it something before I can try to reinvent it.) I am only going to use a teaspoon of melted whipped butter per serving and a splash of white wine to moisten the Parmesan topping. I'm going to whip up a quick sage sauce using some light cream cheese and fat-free half-and-half along with some complementary seasonings such as garlic, sage and parsley.

Elaine Magee / Special (ENLARGE)

Yummy parmesan chicken

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Parmesan Chicken

With Creamy Sage Sauce

4 servings

Hands on: 25-30 minutes Total time: 1 hour

A serving of fried chicken with gravy contains about 400 calories, 20 grams of fat and 135 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup panko crumbs

2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

4 teaspoons whipped butter or lower-fat margarine (8 grams fat per tablespoon)

2 teaspoons white wine (beer or chicken broth can also be used)

Canola cooking spray

4 boneless, skinless chicken half-breasts (not frozen)

2 tablespoons light cream cheese

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be used)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes (fresh chopped parsley can be substituted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, combine Parmesan, panko, Italian herb seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Add butter to bowl and microwave on low just until melted. Drizzle melted butter and wine over the top of Parmesan topping mixture and stir to blend well.

Coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish (or similar) with canola cooking spray; lay chicken breasts out evenly in the dish. Cover the tops of chicken breasts with the crumb mixture. Coat the top of the topping with canola cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout and lightly browned (cut into the thickest part of one of the breasts to test for doneness).

In the last 15 minutes of baking, combine cream cheese with 3 tablespoons of the half-and-half in a small, nonstick saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. When mixture is smooth, whisk in remaining half-and-half and the remaining garlic powder, pepper, sage and parsley. Heat sauce over medium heat for a few minutes or until hot. Remove from stove and cover the saucepan to keep warm. Spoon some sage sauce over each piece of chicken before serving.

Per serving: 272 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 35 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 0.2 grams fiber, 10 grams fat (5.5 grams saturated), 94 milligrams cholesterol, 418 milligrams sodium.

Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian and author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking. Need us to help make your recipes healthier? E-mail Magee at betterhealth@ajc.com.