Baked Parmesan Tilapia

Hey I'm on a roll with fish here. I think this is the third recipe using fish that I've tried. Amazingly, I've actually liked all the fish recipes I've tried. Maybe I'm starting to like fish?

I came across this recipe for Baked Parmesan Tilapia through the blog "Dine and Dish." She found the recipe on RecipeZaar, but that recipe is based on a dish from Mama's Restaurant in Minocqua. WI. The comments on RecipeZaar of those who have eaten at Mama's say the recipe is a great facsimile.

The weird thing about this recipe was that it stated it served 4. Fish fillets are one thing I cannot stomach as a leftover. Reheating fish just grosses me out. A rubber band might be more tasty, and easier to chew. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of fillets. The Tilapia I buy comes frozen in a 1 pound bag. That amounts to around 6 fillets. I liked this recipe, but I wouldn't want to eat more than one piece of fish at a time. Mrblocko agreed, and he really really likes fish.

I halved the recipe and there was still a lot of sauce for just the three fillets. The amounts of the seasonings just don't allow for me to quarter the recipe. I also screwed up and added the lemon juice to the sauce when it was supposed to be added to the fish first. I think that added to the soupy-ness of the topping. Next time, I will make the recipe as follows:


Baked Parmesan Tilapia for 3
3 tilapia fillets
A squeeze of lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (don't use the powdered stuff, It won't melt properly)
1 T Butter, room temperature
1 T mayo
1 1/2 T finely chopped green onions
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt (like Old Bay) (I think I used Bacon salt, I don't remember)
1/8 teaspoon basil
a few grinds of black pepper
1 big dash of hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with Pam. You want a dish that will hold the fillets in a single layer. Squirt the top of the fish with lemon juice. Bake about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings in a small bowl Spread baked fish with the cheese mixture, and place under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown.