Description
Hearty chicken and pepper bake celebrates classic comfort cuisine with robust Mediterranean flavors. Crispy, golden-topped casserole promises a delightful meal you’ll savor until the last satisfying bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (6–8 oz or 170–226 g each)
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese block
- 2 oz (57 g) pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- 14 oz (397 g) mini sweet peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsps Cajun seasoning
- 2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- salt (Kosher)
- black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 375°F and arrange bell pepper slices across the bottom of a baking dish, creating a colorful foundation.
- Filling Creation: Blend cream cheese with thyme, salt, and pepper to craft a fragrant herbed mixture for stuffing.
- Chicken Preparation: Butterfly chicken breasts by cutting a horizontal pocket, being careful not to slice completely through, then generously fill with herbed cream cheese mixture and seal edges.
- Seasoning: Coat chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning, ensuring thorough coverage for maximum flavor profile.
- Assembly: Place seasoned, stuffed chicken breasts over pepper base, strategically positioning additional cream cheese slices and generously topping with pepper Jack cheese.
- Baking: Roast in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F, allowing cheese to melt into a golden, bubbling crust.
- Serving: Transfer chicken to a serving platter, accompanied by roasted peppers and pan juices, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves for an aromatic finishing touch.
Notes
- Butterfly with Care: Make precise horizontal cuts in chicken breasts without slicing completely through to create perfect stuffing pockets.
- Seal Tightly: Pinch chicken breast edges firmly after stuffing to prevent cream cheese from leaking during baking.
- Cheese Layer Strategy: Distribute cream cheese and pepper Jack evenly to ensure consistent melting and flavor throughout the dish.
- Temperature Precision: Use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches exactly 165°F for safe, juicy results without overcooking.
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 30min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 743 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 108 mg