Description
This Healthier Chicken Cacciatore offers a lighter twist on the classic Italian dish by using thin-sliced chicken breast fillets that are sautéed and baked instead of breaded and fried. Packed with vibrant bell peppers, mushrooms, fresh herbs, and a tangy tomato sauce, it’s topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for a delicious, satisfying meal that’s perfect served over pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Cheese
- 1.75 pounds Thin-Sliced Chicken Breast Fillets (Foster Farms brand recommended)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetables and Herbs
- 3 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced ½-inch
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced ½-inch
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced ½-inch
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced ½-inch
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
- 2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth or white wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Other
- 1 pound pasta, cooked as per package instructions
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Arrange chicken: Place the thin-sliced chicken breast fillets in a single layer, making sure to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. This helps the chicken cook uniformly.
- Mix sauce and vegetables: In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce, chicken broth or white wine, diced Roma tomatoes, yellow onion, green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, fresh basil, fresh oregano, capers, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir everything together until well mixed. Reserve 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and all the Parmesan cheese for later use.
- Layer sauce over chicken: Evenly distribute the vegetable and tomato mixture over the chicken breasts in the pan, covering them completely.
- Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking: Take the foil off and bake for an additional 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top to melt and brown slightly.
- Rest and garnish: Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves.
- Serve: Serve the chicken cacciatore hot over cooked pasta of your choice, allowing the flavorful sauce and melted cheese to complement the dish perfectly.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken broth with white wine for added depth of flavor.
- For a lower sodium version, reduce the amount of salt or omit the capers.
- To make this dish gluten-free, serve with gluten-free pasta.
- Make sure to deseed the Roma tomatoes to avoid excess liquid in the sauce.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, consider adding red pepper flakes to the sauce mixture.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently in the oven or microwave.
