Cheesy Baked Vegetable Chicken started as a way to use up vegetables, especially zucchini, from our garden. Now this is our favorite fridge cleaner recipe!
We generally eat a lot of chicken and this recipe is terrific. Use whatever vegetables you have, place a few seared chicken breasts on top, bake, add some cheese and broil for a minute or two! Dinner is ready to be served!
I always have all of the ingredients necessary to make this chicken and it is somewhat different, every time we make it. We use different pasta sauces but the important difference is in the vegetables we use.
In zucchini season I have used only zucchini underneath the chicken, because we always end up with so many, and they need to get used up. We enjoyed it so much after the first time I did it that we do it every zucchini season to this day!
That being said use whatever vegetables you prefer or have around that you think would be terrific and go with your tomato sauce! I have listed approximate amounts of vegetables so you would have a guide and I hope create your own easy weeknight dinner!
Serve with rice or pasta!
Ingredients in Cheesy Baked Vegetable Chicken
- chicken breasts
- pasta sauce
- oil
- onion
- garlic
- zucchini
- mushrooms
- sweet peppers
- celery
- shredded cheese
- Italian seasoning
- salt
- pepper
- cooking spray
How to make Cheesy Baked Vegetable Chicken
In a large skillet, over medium high heat, pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
Wait until the oil starts to shimmer or when you flick a drop of water in it and it dances.
Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper and sear each chicken breast in skillet until light golden brown, between 3 and 5 minutes per side. You want each piece to be nicely browned on both sides.
Wipe skillet clean and add a few more tablespoons of oil. Wait until it is hot and shimmering.
Add and sauté onions, mushrooms and celery until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir periodically.
Add zucchini, garlic, sweet peppers and Italian seasoning and sauté for a few more minutes. Everything should be cooked.
You may need to sauté your vegetables in batches. It will depend on how many people you are feeding and the size of your cookware.
Dump all vegetables from the skillet into a strainer in the sink.
Return strained vegetables to your skillet.
Add your pasta sauce and stir until blended.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare a large casserole dish or 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.
Pour vegetable mixture into your dish or pan. Make it as flat as possible.
Place your seared chicken breasts on top.
Bake for between 20 and 30 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is done.
Sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese and broil until cheese is nicely browned, a few minutes more.
Serve and enjoy!
Cheesy Baked Vegetable Chicken
Equipment
- 13 x 9 inch cake pan
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 2 cups pasta sauce
- 2-4 tblsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tblsp garlic, minced
- 2 zucchini, sliced and quartered
- 2 cups mushrooms, fresh, sliced
- 1 peppers, green, yellow, orange or red, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded more or less to taste
- 1 tblsp dried Italian seasoning
- salt - dashes
- pepper - dashes
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium high heat, pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
- Wait until the oil starts to shimmer or when you flick a drop of water in it and it dances.
- Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper and sear each chicken breast in skillet until light brown, between 3 and 5 minutes per side. You want each piece to be nicely browned on both sides.
- Wipe skillet clean and add a few more tablespoons of oil. Wait until it is hot and shimmering.
- Add and sauté onions, mushrooms and celery until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir periodically.
- Add zucchini, garlic, sweet peppers and Italian seasoning and sauté for a few more minutes. Everything should be cooked.
- You may need to sauté your vegetables in batches. It will depend on how many people you are feeding and the size of your cookware.
- Dump all vegetables from the skillet into a strainer in the sink.
- Return strained vegetables to your skillet.
- Add your pasta sauce and stir until blended.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare a large casserole dish or 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Pour vegetable mixture into your dish or pan. Make it as flat as possible.
- Place your seared chicken breasts on top.
- Bake for between 20 and 30 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is done.
- Sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese and broil until cheese is nicely browned, a few minutes more.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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