Parmesan Tilapia

Back when I was pregnant, I joined an online community of expectant mothers who were all due within a week of me. While the original purpose of the group was to comparing symptoms and soothe each others' anxieties, we soon grew to regard each other as friends and eventually moved off of the public forum into a more private online home.

We've now been friends for just under 4 years and in addition to exchanging pictures of our almost 3-year-olds, we also exchange health tips and recipes. This Parmesan tilapia recipe was contributed by one of the group, Lori, and she had gotten it from Konnie, who was from a different mother's group. I have to say, some of the best recipes I've ever come across are tried and true ones that have made their rounds. This tilapia is delicious and comes together in literally a matter of minutes. So, of course, I now pass it along to all of you.

Here's what you'll need (I adjust all of the amounts depending on how much tilapia I bring home):

2 pounds tilapia filets
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder (I almost never have this)
1/8 teaspoon celery salt

Preheat your oven's broiler and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese...



butter...



mayonnaise...



and lemon juice...



season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt, mix well and set aside.



Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan.



Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes.



Flip the fillets over...



and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven, and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side...



...and broil for 2 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.



Be careful not to overcook the fish. The fillets are generally thin, so truly, I only cook the fish for two minutes on each side and two minutes to melt the Parmesan mixture into the fish.

The flavor of the tilapia is so buttery and so mild. The Irishman, who hates fish, will eat this every time I make it without hesitation and that is definitely saying a lot. So, the next time you're in the store and see tilapia, go ahead and pick it up. I promise you won't regret it.