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two cooked and seasoned chicken breasts in tomato sauce surrounded by melted bocconcini and garnished with chopped fresh basil in a cast iron skillet, fresh herbs in the background

ITALIAN STYLE CHEESY CHICKEN SKILLET

Bubbly melted bocconcini swimming in a warm and succulent tomato sauce that'll taste like it's been simmering on the stove for hours. There's only one rule when it comes to this Cheesy Chicken Skillet and that is make sure you don't forget the bread!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 (28 fl oz.) Whole Plum Tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 small White Onion diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 (200g) container Mini Bocconcini
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Basil shredded
  • 2 sprigs Fresh Oregano
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
  • 1.5 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • ¼ tsp Chilli Flakes optional
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Sliced Bread for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken dry.
    hand with a paper towel patting down raw chicken breasts in a bowl
  • Season generously with salt and pepper.
    two raw chicken breasts in a bowl seasoned with salt and pepper
  • In a large ovenproof skillet (I use a cast iron), heat half the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts.
    two raw chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper searing in a cast iron skillet on a burner
  • Sear, turning once, to ensure that both sides are lightly browned and golden. This should take about 10-15 mins, depending on how big your breasts are (or what kind of chicken you're using).
    two seasoned chicken breasts searing in a cast iron skillet on a burner, tops are golden brown
  • Once both sides have a nice sear, transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate until ready to use.
    two seared and seasoned chicken breasts on a paper towel lined plate
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Toss the onions in the skillet.
    diced white onion in a cast iron skillet on a burner
  • Sautée a few minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, an additional 30 seconds.
    diced onions and minced garlic in a cast iron skillet on a burner
  • Add the canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes (if using) and more salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
    whole tomatoes, diced onions and seasonings in a cast iron skillet on a burner
  • Stir in tomato paste and allow the flavours to come together.
    blob of tomato paste in a skillet with tomato sauce, seasonings and diced onions
  • Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the whole tomatoes into smaller bite sized chunks.
    hand with a wooden spatula crushing whole tomatoes in a cast iron skillet with seasonings and diced onions
  • Leave it simmering, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.
    chunky tomato sauce with diced onions and seasonings steaming away in a cast iron skillet
  • Stir in a few tbsp of fresh shredded basil.

    tomato sauce, diced onions and chopped fresh basil in a cast iron skillet on a burner
  • Make two wells in the tomato sauce and return the chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and put the 2 fresh sprigs of Oregano in the sauce - one on each side of the breasts.
    two chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese in a cast iron skillet with tomato sauce and sprigs of fresh oregano
  • Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 mins, until the chicken is no longer pink and fully cooked through.
    two cooked and seasoned chicken breasts in tomato sauce with herbs in a cast iron skillet
  • Remove the skillet from the oven and add the mini bocconcini around the chicken breasts (I lightly press each one into the sauce).
    two cooked and seasoned chicken breasts in tomato sauce surrounded by mini bocconcini balls in a cast iron skillet
  • Throw it back in the oven for 5 minutes and broil for an additional 3, keeping a close eye to ensure they don't burn. Everything should be nicccce and bubbly at this point.
    two cooked and seasoned chicken breasts in tomato sauce surrounded by melted mini bocconcini balls in a cast iron skillet
  • Top with more grated parmesan, fresh basil and a few cracks of salt and pepper.
    two cooked and seasoned chicken breasts in tomato sauce surrounded by melted mini bocconcini balls and garnished with fresh chopped basil in a cast iron skillet
  • DO NOT forget the bread for dipping!!!
    hand holding a piece of bread with melted bocconcini in tomato sauce on it over a cast iron skillet with the rest

Notes

The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. However, keep in mind that you have an additional 8 minutes of oven time after the initial 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 3mg
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