Chicken and Mozzarella Bake

I don’t know about you, but I love a good pasta dish! This one reminds me of a Chicken Parmesan recipe. The breadcrumb topping on this recipe has a flavorful buttery taste that is beyond fantastic! And yes I said breadcrumb topping, but you know by now that I found a way to make a Gluten Free version of this dish! 

It amazes me how much my 2 kiddos help me decide what recipes are worth repeating and what recipes just don’t make the cut. A lot of them just don’t make it. My kids have high expectations and set the bar high! Well, I’m happy to tell you that this one passed the kid test with flying colors! They loved it and ate every bit! The mix of fresh basil and mozzarella taste is spot on in this dish. I tend to use my homemade spaghetti sauce (which you can find here: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce) when making this dish, but if you are in a hurry you can use store bought pasta…your call based on your schedule and time! We served this with a small side of pasta, but you could very easily serve this with a fresh side salad and skip the pasta.

This one is fast and easy to make. I guarantee your family will love this one! Happy Eats!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup panko (you can use a Gluten Free version)
• 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1 cup marinara/spaghetti sauce (you can use a Gluten Free version)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (you can use a Gluten Free version)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, either shredded or torn into small pieces (about 1/2 cup total)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add panko to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes or until it turns a light brown color. Remove panko from skillet and add to a small bowl. Combine the Parmesan cheese and butter into the small bowl with the panko and stir well.

Next, heat a pan over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and spread evenly. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook chicken another 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, tomato, marinara sauce, chicken stock and 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano to pan and stir well. Return chicken to pan and bring to boil.

Once the mixture boils, remove chicken and sauce from the skillet and add to a glass Pyrex dish. Sprinkle panko mixture and mozzarella over top of the chicken breasts. Place cooking dish in the oven and bake at 400 for 10 minutes, or until chicken is done. Top with remaining fresh oregano and fresh basil.

• Recipe source: inspired by Cooking Light

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Chicken and Mozzarella Bake

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 517 kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs you can use a Gluten Free version
• 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided
• 24 ounces skinless (4 boneless chicken breast halves)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1 cup marinara/spaghetti sauce you can use a Gluten Free version
• 1/4 cup chicken stock you can use a Gluten Free version
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese either shredded or torn into small pieces (about 1/2 cup total)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add panko to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes or until it turns a light brown color. Remove panko from skillet and add to a small bowl. Combine the Parmesan cheese and butter into the small bowl with the panko and stir well.
2. Next, heat a pan over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and spread evenly. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook chicken another 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
3. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, tomato, marinara sauce, chicken stock and 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano to pan and stir well. Return chicken to pan and bring to boil.
4. Once the mixture boils, remove chicken and sauce from the skillet and add to a glass Pyrex dish. Sprinkle panko mixture and mozzarella over top of the chicken breasts. Place cooking dish in the oven and bake at 400 for 10 minutes, or until chicken is done. Top with remaining fresh oregano and fresh basil.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken and Mozzarella Bake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 517 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 35g 54%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 199mg 66%

Sodium 933mg 39%

Potassium 805mg 23%

Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 5g

Protein 41g 82%

Vitamin A 13.9%

Vitamin C 8.8%

Calcium 15.1%

Iron 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.