Description
A delicious and easy chicken bake featuring juicy chicken breasts smothered in tangy passata, fresh cherry tomatoes, melted reduced-fat mozzarella, and topped with flavorful garlic croutons. This oven-baked dish is perfect for a comforting dinner served alongside a crisp green salad.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Bake
- 4 skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g passata
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 125g ball reduced-fat mozzarella, drained and sliced
For the Garlic Croutons
- 3 thick slices of sourdough or bloomer bread, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Pinch of dried oregano
To Serve
- ½ small bunch of basil, leaves picked
- Green salad
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally, ensuring you do not cut all the way through, then open them out like a book. Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat half of the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole dish. If you don’t have an ovenproof pan, fry in a regular frying pan then transfer to a roasting tin later. Fry the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until they are lightly golden.
- Add Sauce and Toppings: Spoon the passata evenly over the cooked chicken breasts. Nestle the cherry tomatoes in and around the chicken in the pan. Lay the sliced mozzarella evenly over the top.
- Prepare Garlic Croutons: Place the bread cubes into a bowl. Toss the cubes with the remaining olive oil, crushed garlic, and dried oregano until well coated.
- Assemble and Bake: Scatter the garlic croutons over the chicken and tomatoes in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from the oven and scatter fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve the chicken bake alongside a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
Notes
- Ensure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) for food safety.
- You can use any crusty bread for the croutons if sourdough or bloomer is unavailable.
- Reduced-fat mozzarella keeps the dish lighter without sacrificing flavor.
- For a richer flavor, you can drizzle a little extra olive oil over the salad before serving.
- If you don’t have an ovenproof pan, remember to transfer the chicken and toppings carefully to a roasting tin before baking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: chicken bake, garlic croutons, oven-baked chicken, Italian chicken recipe, mozzarella chicken, healthy chicken dinner
