Baked Chicken With Tomato Sauce And Mozzarella

Baked Chicken With Tomato Sauce And Mozzarella is really good, especially with a little more mozzarella! I guess everyone is a fan of cheese… but if you’re not, try this. Also it’s an excellent option to accompany rice.

Having a domestic day yet again today, baking some chicken, pasta and sauce to go with it! I’ll be using regular tomatoes for the sauce, along with tomato puree for extra flavour, onion and garlic. Then bashed in some basil and oregano, black pepper and mixed in some milk and butter.

Table of Contents

Chicken and mozzarella in tomato sauce

EASY
SEPTEMBER 2006

Test kitchen approved

SERVES 4
READY IN 25 MIN

In this fun Italian recipe, you flatten chicken breasts with a rolling pin to make a quick supper bursting with mozzarella and Parma ham.

Ingredients

4 skinned chicken breasts
Olive oil, for brushing
500g tub fresh tomato pasta sauce
75g pitted black olives
Handful shredded fresh basil leaves, plus 8 whole leaves
125g mozzarella ball, cut into 8 thin slices and patted dry with kitchen paper
4 slices Parma ham

Method

Using a rolling pin, flatten the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of cling film into 5mm thick escalopes. Brush with a little olive oil, season, and cook in a hot frying pan for 3-4 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked and golden.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. In a small pan, heat the pasta sauce until hot. Stir in the olives and shredded basil.
Pour into a shallow ovenproof dish, lay the chicken on top and cover each escalope with 2 mozzarella slices, 2 basil leaves and 1 slice Parma ham. Grill for 5-6 minutes, until bubbling. Serve with olive oil mash and green vegetables.

Baked Chicken Breasts with Mozzarella

Baked chicken breasts topped with melted mozzarella in a thick and spicy tomato sauce. This easy one-pan recipe has intense flavor and is ready to serve in about 30 minutes. Bookmark this recipe for your weeknight menu!

Chicken breasts with melted cheese and fresh basil leaves in a pan. — Tender, juicy chicken with melty mozzarella, fresh basil and a rich and spicy tomato sauce.

Of all the chicken recipes I make, melty mozzarella chicken has my family’s heart. The aroma that fills the kitchen while it’s baking (garlicky, herby, savory) will have you salivating. I have no problem saying that this easy dinner is SO MUCH BETTER than anything you’d get in an everyday Italian restaurant!

While I often prefer to cook boneless chicken thighs, I used chicken breasts to create this recipe. They’re mild and meaty and when baked in the oven along with a boldly seasoned tomato sauce they turn out moist and tender.

Sliced chicken breasts in tomato sauce on a serving plate, with a fork and spoon.

The dish is finished with a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves and a layer of grated cheese that melts into gooey deliciousness on top of the chicken breasts.

Stock your pantry the RIGHT way

I wanted to make a sauce that was more like a rustic Southern-Italian version of Caprese chicken — a classic dish typically made with raw tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.
To achieve that, I use pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes, jarred roasted red peppers, lots of garlic, anchovies, dried herbs and chili pepper to really boost the flavor of the sauce. It’s rich, chunky and so, so good!

Ingredients for the recipe

Instead of using a jar of ho-hum marinara sauce, you’re going to make a flavor-packed homemade pan sauce, but don’t worry it is incredibly easy! Here’s what you need to get cooking:

Chicken breasts: Choose medium-large boneless and skinless chicken.
Canned tomatoes: One 14 or 15-ounce can. I recommend crushed tomatoes because they’re packed in puree and less watery than diced ones.
Roasted red peppers: Use jarred peppers for convenience and great flavor.
Fresh basil: Trim off the tough stems and pick just the leaves.
Anchovy: Just a couple of oil-packed anchovies deliver the “secret” layer of flavor in the sauce. They literally melt away and only you will know they’re in there!
Garlic: Use 4 plump cloves and grate them with a rasp grater or use a garlic press.
Onion: Yellow, red or white onion are all good.
Mozzarella: Don’t use fresh water-packed mozzarella for this because it doesn’t melt as well. You want basic low-moisture mozzarella packaged in a block or pre-shredded.
Olive oil
Dried Oregano: Italian seasoning will work as well.
Crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds

Recipe steps:

The beauty of this recipe is that it goes straight from the stovetop to the oven.

Chef Tip: Choose your largest skillet or saute pan, 12-14 inches in diameter. The more surface area, the quicker the sauce will cook, thicken and intensify in flavor.

Soften onion in olive oil.
Add the garlic, anchovy and spices

Stir in red peppers and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Put the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the sauce and bake 15 minutes.

Flip the chicken and top with the mozzarella.
Bake until melted, about 5 minutes.

When the cheese melts, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with torn basil leaves. Transfer to a platter or serve straight from the pan (be sure to cover the pan handle with a towel to prevent burns).

What to serve with chicken mozzarella:

Of course, this chicken is perfect to serve with any kind of pasta, such as spaghetti, penne or whatever you like.
I’ve made this into a satisfying low-carb meal served over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice tossed with basil pesto sauce.

Chicken breasts with melted cheese and fresh basil leaves in a pan, with a dish towel on the handle.

How to store:

The chicken keeps up to 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze it for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat at 350 degrees about 15 minutes, or until the portion is heated through.

Baked Mozzarella Chicken

with Yellow Tomato Sauce, Kale & Fettuccine

55 MIN

4 Servings

From the Test Kitchen

This family-friendly recipe is a nod to Italian-American comfort food. We’re making a brightly flavored (and colored) sauce using yellow tomatoes—a sweet-tart variety grown in Italy—to layer with pan-seared chicken and fresh mozzarella, which melts into a perfectly creamy coating in the oven. Fettuccine and kale tossed in a light mascarpone sauce complete the meal with even more satisfying heartiness.

NutritionPER SERVING
Calories790 Cals (est.)

BLUE APRON WINE PAIRING

Seigneurie de ChâtillonChardonnay, 2015

fresh

INGREDIENTS

Baked Mozzarella Chicken with Yellow Tomato Sauce, Kale & Fettuccine

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
10 oz Fettuccine Pasta
1 14-Ounce Can Whole Yellow Tomatoes
½ lb Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
4 cloves Garlic
1 bunch Kale
1 large bunch Parsley
2 Tbsps Butter
2 Tbsps Mascarpone Cheese

time-saving

TIPS & TECHNIQUES

How To: Separate Leafy Greens from the Stems

Check out this simple trick for separating the stems and leaves of one of our favorite ingredients: kale. You won’t even need a knife!

step-by-step

INSTRUCTIONS

1Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Tear the mozzarella cheese into bite-sized pieces. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Place the tomatoes in a bowl; gently break apart with your hands.

2Make the sauce:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in half the parsley. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

3Cook the chicken:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat.

4Assemble & bake the chicken:

Spread a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, top with the cooked chicken in a single, even layer. Evenly top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese; season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven; let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

5Cook the pasta:

While the chicken bakes, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.

6Finish the pasta & serve your dish:

Once the pasta has cooked for about 5 minutes, to the pan of reserved fond, add half the butter; heat on medium-high until melted. Add the kale and remaining garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until wilted. Add the cooked pasta, remaining butter and half the reserved cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring vigorously, 2 to 3 minutes, or until coated. Turn off the heat. Stir in the mascarpone cheese; season with salt and pepper to taste. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining cooking water.) Transfer to a serving dish. Top the baked chicken with the remaining parsley. Enjoy!