Pesto and Marinara Mozzarella Chicken Bake (melskitchencafe.com)

 

PESTO AND MARINARA MOZZARELLA CHICKEN BAKE

yield: 6 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 15MINUTES MINS

cook time: 25MINUTES MINS

total time: 40MINUTES MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ to ½ cup pesto
• 4 cups marinara sauce (see note)
• 8 thick slices mozzarella cheese or freshly grated mozzarella cheese, about 1 to 2 cups
• Hot cooked noodles for serving (optional), cooked noodles for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller) baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and lightly season all sides with salt and pepper. Spoon the pesto into the baking dish and toss the chicken with the pesto until evenly covered, arranging them into a single layer.
• Pour the marinara evenly over the top of the chicken. Top with mozzarella slices (or with shredded cheese, if using).
• Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is hot and bubbling.
• Serve over hot, cooked noodles, if desired.

NOTES

Chicken: frozen chicken won't work well here - it will add too much extra liquid to the dish. I have a feeling this dish is super adaptable which means you could probably increase the amount of chicken to three pounds for heartier portions without changing anything else.

Cheese: remember, if using shredded mozzarella cheese in place of the sliced - grating your own mozzarella will make it extra melty and gooey (preshredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to prevent caking which makes it melt less well than freshly grated cheese). 

Marinara Sauce: as noted in the post and the ingredient list, I like to keep this classic marinara sauce in the freezer to use for dishes like this; you could definitely use your favorite storebought version in place of the homemade. 

Pesto: my favorite storebought brand of pesto is Costco's refrigerated pesto.

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pesto-and-marinara-mozzarella-chicken-bake/

I made this using 24 ounce jar of Ragu Simply 8 Traditional