Cheesy Baked Chicken With Peppers (Printable)

Tender chicken baked with colorful peppers and topped with melted cheeses for a comforting, flavorful meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

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 sliced into half-moons
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

07 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

→ Pantry and Seasonings

09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
12 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
13 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
02 - Scatter the sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers along with the red onion across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper, and toss until evenly coated.
03 - Place the chicken breasts on top of the vegetable bed. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Rub the minced garlic over the surface of each breast, then season evenly with the smoked paprika, dried Italian herbs, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
04 - Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses evenly over the chicken breasts and surrounding vegetables.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbling.
06 - Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The peppers roast down into sweet, jammy ribbons that taste like they took far more effort than they actually did.
  • It looks like you spent an hour on presentation, but the oven does almost all the work for you.
02 -
  • Do not skip the five minute rest or you will lose half your juices to the cutting board the moment you slice in.
  • A meat thermometer is your best friend here because overcooked chicken hides under all that cheese and you will never know until you bite in.
03 -
  • Slice the peppers fairly thin so they soften completely in the same time the chicken needs to cook through.
  • Let the dish rest uncovered so the cheese stays slightly crisp on top rather than steaming into a soft layer.

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