This Mozzarella Chicken Bake is a quick and easy chicken dinner. The chicken breasts come out perfectly moist and are cooked directly in your favorite marinara sauce and then topped with tons of mozzarella cheese.
Need something easy but hearty for dinner tonight? This mozzarella chicken is just what you’re looking for.
Why You Should Make Mozzarella Chicken Tonight
- It’s super easy and most of the cooking time is hands-off. Once you brown your chicken breasts and add the sauce, your work is pretty much done.
- Cooking chicken breasts directly in the sauce keeps them moist and juicy and perfect. It’s basically foolproof.
- This is an absolutely crowd pleasing dish. Even picky eaters are going to love cheesy chicken in red sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts: Since chicken breast sizes vary so much these days, I recommend using four 6-to-8-ounce chicken breasts OR two 10+-ounce pieces and just cut them in half horizontally like I did for the chicken breasts in the photos.
- Marinara sauce: As a shortcut, we’re using our favorite store-bought red sauce in this recipe. This is my current go-to.
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta here. I usually use fettuccine, but penne, rigatoni, and rotini would also be fantastic.
How to Make Chicken Marinara
Sear chicken breasts: Start by seasoning and searing the chicken breasts. This helps add flavor and cuts down on the cooking time for the chicken.
Add sauce: Pour sauce into the pan and use tongs to arrange the chicken breasts so there is sauce on all sides.
Top with cheese: Add cheese and then bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve over pasta: Transfer each chicken breast to a bed of pasta, spoon on sauce, and enjoy!
What type of sauce is marinara? Can I use spaghetti sauce instead?
Marinara sauce is an Italian red sauce made with tomatoes, spices, garlic, and sometimes onions. You can use it over a variety of different meats and pasta shapes and sizes.
Spaghetti sauce is simply a type of marinara sauce, typically with meat added. So yes, you can use store-bought spaghetti sauce in place of marinara here.
Do I have to use an instant-read thermometer?
You don’t have to use a thermometer. You can also cut into the chicken to test for doneness, but if you don’t already own a thermometer, please buy one.
They take all the guesswork out of cooking meat and are truly one of the most useful kitchen tools you can own.
Can I make Mozzarella Chicken in advance?
Yes. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and you can reheat the sauce and chicken gently over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave.
This also freezes fairly well. Store chicken and sauce in a freezer zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating. Serve over freshly cooked pasta.
What to Serve With Mozzarella Chicken?
Serve mozzarella chicken with garlic bread or french bread and either a simple side salad or roasted vegetable like:
- Roasted Zucchini
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Asparagus
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup
Equipment
- 12-inch oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- ▢ 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ▢ Salt and pepper
- ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning OR 1 teaspoon each basil and oregano, divided
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce
- ▢ 1 ¾ cups (6oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ▢ 12 ounces pasta fettuccine is a great option
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425℉.
- If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice each piece of chicken into 2 cutlets by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast and running a sharp knife horizontally through the breast, slicing the top and bottom into two thin, even pieces.
- Generously salt and pepper the top of each piece of chicken and then sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for your pasta.
- In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts to the pan, seasoning-side down. Salt and pepper the other side of the chicken breasts and top with remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Cook chicken until the first side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat with the second side.
- Remove skillet from heat and pour marinara sauce over the chicken. Use tongs or a fork to pick up each chicken piece and nestle it into the sauce so there is sauce on all sides of the chicken.
- Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese on each chicken breast and then place the skillet in the oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breasts reads 165°F, about 10-20 minutes.* Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- While your chicken bakes and then rests, cook pasta according to packaging instructions.
- Serve each chicken breast on a bed of pasta and spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 3 days, and you can reheat the sauce and chicken gently over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Freezer: Store chicken and sauce in a freezer zip top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating. Serve over freshly cooked pasta.
These Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes are lightly tangy and satisfyingly rich. They’re a fantastic option for making decadent and creamy mashed potatoes without using heavy cream.
Have you ever made mashed potatoes with sour cream instead of heavy cream? If not, you should absolutely give it a try. They’re a super creamy twist on traditional mashed potatoes that everyone will love.
Using sour cream rather than heavy cream gives mashed potatoes a rich and slightly tangy flavor that pairs well with meaty mains like Balsamic Chicken , Mississippi Pot Roast , or Chicken Stroganoff .
Best of all, they are just super quick and easy to make and only require 4 ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: I call for Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, but you can also use red potatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Milk: Use any (unsweetened) milk you like. There isn’t a ton of milk in this recipe so the fat percentage is not going to significantly affect the flavor.
- Sour Cream: For easiest clean up and fastest measuring, I recommend measuring your sour cream by weight using a kitchen scale. Full-fat sour cream is going to give you the best, richest results, but you can use low-fat sour cream if you prefer.
How to Make Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Prep your butter and sour cream first. Before preparing any of your other ingredients, cut the butter into 1-inch pieces, measure out your sour cream, and set them both some place warm in your kitchen. This will give your butter time to soften and take some of the chill off the sour cream, making them easier to incorporate, and they won’t cool the potatoes as much when added so the mashed potatoes stay hot until served.
Place chopped potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water, and add salt.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
Drain the potatoes, add the softened butter, and mash the potatoes.
Stir in the warmed milk and the sour cream.
Salt and pepper to taste and add more milk as needed, then enjoy!
Can I leave my potato skins on?
My rule for potatoes is always peel Russets, sometimes peel Yukon Golds, and never peel red potatoes, but your mileage may vary. For picky eaters, it’s probably best to peel all potatoes for mashing.
Why do you put hot milk in mashed potatoes?
Warming milk before mixing it into mashed potatoes keeps it from cooling down the potatoes before serving them. No one wants a plate full of cold potatoes!
How to store sour cream mashed potatoes?
Store the mashed potatoes tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze the mashed potatoes?
Yes, but the texture will not be exactly the same after freezing. I prefer to use frozen mashed potatoes as a base for something like Creamed Turkey because any texture change is much less notable, rather than eating it as a stand-alone side like you’d serve with steak.
To freeze, transfer mashed potatoes to a freezer zip-top bag and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Favorite Potato Recipes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Roasted Carrots and Potatoes
- Microwave Baked Potato
- Roasted Red Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Potato masher
- 1 Microwave-safe measuring cup, or microwave-safe dish to heat milk in
Ingredients
- ▢ 8 tablespoons ( 112g ) butter salted or unsalted is fine
- ▢ ¾ cup ( 180g ) sour cream
- ▢ 3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and chopped into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
- ▢ 1 tablespoon table salt plus more as needed
- ▢ ½ cup milk divided
- ▢ Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Before preparing any of your other ingredients, cut butter into 1-inch pieces and set both the butter and your measured-out sour cream in a warm spot in your kitchen.
- Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and add water until the potatoes are completely submerged. Add salt and bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat and bring the water down to a good simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender—you should be able to easily mash a piece against the side of the pot with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.
- In the last couple minutes of cooking time for the potatoes, heat all of the milk in the microwave until it is steaming hot but not boiling.
- Drain the potatoes, add the cubed butter, and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes*. Stir in ¼ cup of the warmed milk and all of the sour cream.
- Taste and add more warmed milk, salt, and pepper as needed.
- To keep them warm, cover the potatoes until you’re ready to serve them. Enjoy!
Notes
In just 5 minutes and using a handful of ingredients, you can make this creamy Sriracha Aioli. It’s the perfect spicy dipping sauce for fries and veggies or spread to add to your sandwiches, burgers, and wraps!
Over the last few years, I’ve posted a handful of aioli recipes: Small-Batch Garlic Aioli , Chipotle Aioli , Greek Yogurt Aioli . And today, I have another easy aioli recipe for you: Sriracha Aioli!
Sriracha aioli is a fun spicy twist on your classic aioli. The sauce has a smooth and creamy texture with a garlicky and tangy flavor and a hint of spice.
It is a great way to add flavor and heat to your sandwiches and burgers and also makes a delicious dipping sauce that pairs well with veggies, fries, fish sticks, or even salmon.
Best of all, this recipe uses just 4 simple ingredients: mayo, garlic, lime juice, and Sriracha and takes only 5 minutes to make.
Ingredient Notes
- Mayonnaise: You can use any type of mayo for this recipe, including vegan or low-fat. If you want a lighter aioli, you can replace up to two tablespoons of the mayo with unsweetened yogurt.
- Sriracha Sauce: Obviously, Sriracha is the star of Sriracha aioli, but you can swap in most hot sauces to make a new aioli variation.
- Lime juice: I actually recommend using bottled lime juice in this recipe because I found that freshly squeezed juice overpowered the sauce a bit. If you want to use fresh lime juice, try cutting the amount in half and then add more to taste.
- Garlic: Since we are using fresh garlic, be sure to check your garlic to make sure there are no sprouts on it. Even if you cut away the sprouted portion, the garlic still tends to have an “off” flavor when it is eaten raw .
How to Make Sriracha Aioli
Combine all of your ingredients (mayo, Sriracha sauce, lime juice, and pressed garlic) in a small bowl and stir well.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
What to eat with Sriracha Aioli
Sriracha aioli can be used as an ingredient to spice up whatever recipe you’re making almost anywhere you’d use regular mayonnaise.
It also makes a great sauce for fries, chicken strips, quesadillas, or sushi.
Or try it as a spread on your burgers or sandwiches or inside wraps and tacos .
Can You Make Sriracha Aioli Ahead of Time? / How to Store Sriracha Aioli
You can make Sriracha Aioli up to 48 hours in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Because of the raw garlic, I do not recommend storing aioli for more than 2 days.
How spicy is Sriracha Aioli?
I would classify this aioli as not super spicy. If you are worried about spice level, cut the amount of Sriracha in half and add more to taste.
How can I make my Sriracha Aioli spicier?
For more heat, you can add more Sriracha to taste or add some cayenne pepper to the recipe. I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon.
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ cup mayonnaise
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce *
- ▢ 2 teaspoons lime juice *
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves crushed with a garlic press or very finely minced
- ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, lime juice, and garlic.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Easy Weeknight Mozzarella Chicken
Equipment
- 12-inch oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning OR 1 teaspoon each basil and oregano, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1 ¾ cups (6oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 12 ounces pasta fettuccine is a great option
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425℉.
- If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice each piece of chicken into 2 cutlets by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast and running a sharp knife horizontally through the breast, slicing the top and bottom into two thin, even pieces.
- Generously salt and pepper the top of each piece of chicken and then sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for your pasta.
- In a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts to the pan, seasoning-side down. Salt and pepper the other side of the chicken breasts and top with remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Cook chicken until the first side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat with the second side.
- Remove skillet from heat and pour marinara sauce over the chicken. Use tongs or a fork to pick up each chicken piece and nestle it into the sauce so there is sauce on all sides of the chicken.
- Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese on each chicken breast and then place the skillet in the oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breasts reads 165°F, about 10-20 minutes.* Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- While your chicken bakes and then rests, cook pasta according to packaging instructions.
- Serve each chicken breast on a bed of pasta and spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 3 days, and you can reheat the sauce and chicken gently over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Freezer: Store chicken and sauce in a freezer zip top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating. Serve over freshly cooked pasta.
