Friday, May 3, 2013

Pizza Chicken

This chicken recipe is like pizza, but with a chicken breast instead of pizza crust!  It's a great way to fit a little extra protein in your day, and it's so yummy (and gluten free to boot!) I made mine with pepperoni, but you could use any favorite pizza toppings here.  Whichever toppings you use, the key to this recipe is the step where you brown the cheese in a hot oven (using the broiler would work too, but it always scares me a little!) - browning the cheese gives it that really tasty pizza flavor and really 'makes' the dish.  I found that leftovers were not as good when reheated, so plan to make just as much as you're going to eat in one meal.


Pizza Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 4

Olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, minced
16-20 slices pepperoni, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
2 T chopped fresh basil
4 chicken breast cutlets (4-5 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and pepperoni and saute until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add the oregano and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the marinara sauce, bring to a boil, and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil.
2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and place the oven rack on the highest slot.
3. Wash the pan, and then return to the stove.  Heat enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken cutlets, and then cook in the oil until cooked through (time will depend on thickness of chicken pieces). 
4. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the chicken on the foil, and then divide the sauce evenly among the pieces of chicken.  Divide the shredded cheese among the chicken pieces.
5. Cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 5 minutes or so (keep a close eye on it).

6 comments:

  1. Great idea! I love "Cooking Light". I have some part-skim mozarella in my fridge...I hope it's still good and I can make this for my little guy. He'd love it, especially if I got some pepperoni! : )

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  2. I love anything from Cooking Light! Yum!

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  3. This is such a fun dinner! Love all that crazy melty cheese.

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  4. I'm on a paleo kick (with dairy) so this is right up my alley AND makes me feel as thought I'm not dieting you know?

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  5. Great idea! Can't wait to try it.

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  6. Made this for Sunday dinner with Grandma. We all loved it! Fresh asparagus from the yard on the side.

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