Baked Chicken Pepperoni Recipes

AURORA'S CHICKEN PEPPERONI!

Steps:

• In a large deep ovenproof frying pan (*I used a heavy-bottomed stainless steel one), heat butter and oil over medium-high heat, stir to mix. When hot, sear pounded chicken breasts (that have been seasoned to taste on each side with salt and pepper) until lightly browned on each side. *I did this in two batches as not to overcrowd the pan. Remove to a plate or baking dish, cover, set aside.
• Remove pan from heat (do not drain oil and butter), add wine carefully, let steam subside and stir and scrape bottom of pan.
• Return pan to heat and lower to medium. Toss in onion, peppers, oregano, italian seasoning and garlic powder. Sauté for 5 minutes adding pepperoni during last minute, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Add all tomatoes, breaking up whole tomatoes with your hand as you add them, and rest of ingredients *except cheese and dried parsley. Stir well to mix, bring to a low boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring as needed, occasionally, making sure there's no sticking on the bottom of the pan.
• Nestle browned chicken breasts down into pan under the sauce making sure that they aren't overlapping.
• Pop into fully heated 350ºF oven and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and turn up to low broil.
• Top each piece of chicken with large handfuls of cheese using all of it. Sprinkle top with dried parsley, and pop back into oven and bake/broil until cheese has fully melted. Mine only took another 5 minutes. Watch carefully as all ovens behave differently.
• Remove from oven and top with fresh parsley sprigs when serving if desired.

CHICKEN PEPPERONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy plastic or waxed paper on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a 1/2-inch thickness.
• Combine bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip both sides of chicken in bread crumb mixture until evenly coated.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 chicken breasts until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken breasts. Arrange chicken breasts in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine tomatoes, sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, basil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, salt and black pepper in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour sauce evenly over chicken breasts in the baking dish.
• Cover tomato sauce with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, 20 to 30 minutes.

CHICKEN PEPPERONI

Steps:

• * I used quartered low-fat pepperoni slices without sacrificing the taste. While I needed to use olive oil to make up for the missing rendered fat, I did save considerably on cholesterol.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Dice pepperoni into 1/4" cubes.
• Cook in frying pan over medium heat, allowing the fat from it to render out. Remove from pan and set aside. Season flour with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Cut chicken in to bite-sized chunks.
• Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned flour until coated.
• Shake off excess flour and brown in the rendered pepperoni fat (and olive oil, if needed) until the chicken is almost cooked.
• Remove from pan and set aside. Whisk tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup water together in pan until smooth.
• Return chicken and pepperoni to pan.
• Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Serve over a bed of pasta.

PEPPERONI CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, the garlic powder, the seasoning salt and one half of the pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
• Mix the tomatoes, minced garlic, diced onion, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, the oregano and the other half teaspoon of pepper in an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and then season each side with spice mixture. Add them to the baking dish and press them down slightly. Cover each piece with four pepperoni slices.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
• Once the chicken is fully cooked top each breast with a slice of cheese and then turn the broiler on high. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown and is bubbly.