Cheesy Chicken Marinara Recipes

CHEESY BAKED ORZO WITH MARINARA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain the orzo and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a very large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (don't let the garlic burn), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
• Stir the cooked orzo into the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella, sprinkle the Parmesan on top, and bake, uncovered, until the Parmesan is melted and the pasta is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil, and serve warm.

THE BEST PARMESAN CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic and hot red pepper flakes.
• Arrange the chicken breasts in bottom of the dish, and pour marinara sauce over chicken. Sprinkle basil over marinara sauce, and top with half the mozzarella cheese, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the croutons, then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese and croutons are golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the shape and thickness of your chicken breasts. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

CHEESY CHICKEN MARINARA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl and mix with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
• Dip chicken breasts in the egg mixture. Coat chicken breasts on all sides with bread crumbs. Place chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and top each breast with some marinara sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the breasts.
• Bake until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly, about 10 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CHEESY CHICKEN PARMESAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine tofu, ricotta, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and mix until well combined. Add chicken and gently mix to incorporate. Lightly wet hands to prevent meatball mixture from sticking, then roll into 24 (1 1/2-inch) golf ball-size rounds.
• In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add marinara sauce and meatballs, and stir gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven to bake until meatballs are cooked through, 20 minutes.
• Top with provolone slices, slightly overlapping, and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes longer.
• Serve meatballs, peppers and sauce over egg noodles. Garnish with parsley, if using.

CHEESY CHICKEN PENNE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and cook penne according to directions on box.
• Meanwhile, chop the thawed chicken into bite-size strips. Set aside.
• When the penne is done, drain and set aside; heat the pot with the olive oil and let the oil get really hot.
• Add just under 1 TBSP of fresh minced garlic and add basil and onion. Stir around a bit and add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and then sprinkle a lot of garlic salt. Add a little ground black pepper.
• Stir fry until chicken is no longer pink, around 5 minutes; do not overcook, as the chicken will get tough!
• Spoon the chicken into the bottom of a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; glass looks really pretty. Spread penne evenly over that.
• Pour marinara sauce over all and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over that. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over everything, it should just be a thin layer.
• Bake at 300°F until cheese melts, about 9-15 minutes.