Description
This Cheese Chicken recipe features tender, pan-seared chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan-flour crust, smothered in a creamy cheddar and Parmesan cheese sauce with broccoli. Garnished with optional crispy bacon, it’s a flavorful, comforting main dish perfect for dinner, served best alongside baked potatoes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon, optional
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
Instructions
- Prep Work: Combine the ½ cup flour and 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside. Slice each chicken breast into 2-3 thinner slices, about ½ inch thick. Pound lightly if needed. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- Cook the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken slices with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Dredge each piece in the flour-Parmesan mixture, tapping off excess. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time, sautéing 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and crusty. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. Adjust heat and add more oil as needed, avoiding moving chicken too much for good searing.
- Make the Sauce: Wipe excess oil from skillet but keep the browned bits (fond). Melt butter over medium heat, scraping the pan bottom with a silicone spatula. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux. Slowly add chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously to avoid lumps and keep sauce thick. Then add milk the same way. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, hot sauce, and chopped broccoli. Bring sauce to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer for 4-5 minutes until broccoli softens.
- Add Cheese and Finish: Turn heat to low and let sauce cool slightly to prevent cheese from separating. Gradually sprinkle in cheddar and Parmesan cheese while stirring continuously until melted and combined. Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce on top, and heat through uncovered for 5 minutes. Optionally, crumble cooked bacon strips over the top just before serving. Serve with baked potatoes or your favorite side.
Notes
- Use 3-4 chicken pieces if breasts are smaller instead of slicing into more pieces.
- For lower sodium, use unsalted butter and low sodium chicken broth; reduce or skip added salt on chicken.
- To ensure smooth cheese sauce, avoid adding cheese to sauce that’s too hot to prevent grainy texture. Shredding cheese from block yields better melt and flavor than pre-shredded.
- Pounding chicken with the textured side of a mallet creates a surface that helps breading stick and tenderizes the meat.
- The hot sauce enhances flavor without making the sauce spicy.
- Optionally cook bacon separately, reserve drippings to cook chicken or make sauce roux instead of butter for extra flavor.
- This recipe is featured on page 103 of The Cozy Cookbook.
- Nutritional info assumes all flour is used for dredging but actual use may be less.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 590 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 48 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
