Cheesy Baked Chicken Breast And Peppers (Print version)
Tender chicken baked with colorful peppers and melted cheese for an easy family dinner.
# What goes in:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into strips
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
04 - 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
05 - 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
06 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
→ Cheeses
07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz)
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
→ Seasonings & Oils
09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Cooking steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, coating the bottom and sides evenly.
02 - Arrange the sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers along with the red onion in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with half of the salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Toss the vegetables gently to coat them evenly in the oil and seasonings.
03 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each breast with the remaining half of the salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika, pressing the spices gently into the meat.
04 - Place the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the bed of vegetables in the baking dish. Scatter the minced garlic evenly over the chicken and the surrounding vegetables.
05 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through partially while the vegetables soften and release their juices.
06 - Carefully remove the foil from the baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top of each chicken breast. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the cheese is fully melted with golden-brown spots on top.
07 - Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Serve each chicken breast over a portion of the roasted peppers and onions, spooning any pan juices over the top.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one dish which means you get maximum flavor with barely any cleanup.
- The peppers turn soft and sweet beneath the chicken and their juices mix with melted cheese into something you will want to drag bread through.
02 -
- Do not skip the foil tent, without it the chicken dries out before the vegetables soften and the whole dish suffers for it.
- An instant read thermometer is your best friend here, pull the chicken at 165 degrees F and carryover heat will finish the job.
03 -
- Slice any leftover chicken and tuck it into a sandwich with the roasted peppers the next day, it is almost better than the original dinner.
- If your chicken breasts are very thick, butterfly them or pound them to an even thickness so the cheese does not burn while you wait for the center to cook.