Simple Chicken Mozzarella Bake with Tomato Sauce
Make a delicious and easy Chicken Mozzarella Bake! This simple recipe features seasoned chicken breasts topped with a quick homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Chicken:
- ▢ 4 small chicken breasts, skinless, boneless (thin or pounded out)
- ▢ 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ▢ 1 tbsp onion powder
- ▢ 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ▢ Salt & black pepper, to taste
- ▢ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
- ▢ 1 can chopped tomatoes (16 oz)
- ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ▢ 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- ▢ 2 tsp oregano (dried)
- ▢ Salt and black pepper, to taste
Topping & Garnish:
- ▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ▢ A few basil leaves, chopped for garnish
Instructions
1. Prepare Oven and Dish:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil or grease lightly.
2. Prepare and Season Chicken:
- Ensure your chicken breasts are thin. If they are thick, pound them gently between plastic wrap to an even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch).
- Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts (score) across the top surface of each chicken breast in a crosshatch pattern. Be careful not to cut all the way through. This helps the seasonings penetrate.
- Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, scored side up initially.
- Sprinkle half of the garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper over the chicken. Rub the seasonings in gently.
- Flip the chicken breasts over so the scored side is now facing up. Sprinkle with the remainder of the seasonings and rub them in, trying to get some into the cuts.
- Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the seasoned chicken breasts.
3. Make the Tomato Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the canned chopped tomatoes (undrained), minced garlic, finely chopped red onion, dried oregano, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.
4. Assemble the Bake:
- Pour the prepared tomato sauce mixture evenly over the chicken breasts in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce and chicken.
5. Bake:
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C) and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Broil (Optional):
- For more golden-brown cheese, switch the oven setting to Broil (High) after the chicken is cooked.
- Broil for 2 minutes, watching very closely to prevent burning, until the cheese is golden and bubbly to your liking.
7. Garnish and Serve:
- Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil just before serving.
- Serve warm.
Troubleshooting
- Chicken Dry: Overbaking is the most likely culprit. Use thinner breasts or pound them. Use a meat thermometer (165°F/74°C). Check doneness at the lower end of the time range.
- Sauce Too Watery: Canned tomatoes vary in liquid content. If it seems very watery, you could drain the tomatoes slightly before mixing the sauce, or let the dish rest longer after baking for sauce to slightly thicken.
- Sauce Too Thick: Unlikely with this method, but if desired thinner, add a splash of chicken broth or water to the tomato sauce mixture before pouring over chicken.
- Cheese Burnt During Broiling: Broilers are very intense. Keep a constant eye on it; 1-2 minutes is often enough. Lower the oven rack if necessary