Description
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken brings comfort straight to your dinner table with a creamy, protein-packed combination that feels like a warm hug. Tender chicken and crisp broccoli mingle under a blanket of melted cheese, creating a quick and satisfying meal your family will devour.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
Vegetables:
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets
- ¼ cup red bell pepper cubes
Seasonings and Additions:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ⅓ cups shredded colby-jack cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 400F and grab a sharp paring knife to create a careful pocket along the side of each chicken breast without cutting completely through.
- Mix salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a small bowl to create your seasoning blend.
- Combine 1 ½ cups broccoli, ¼ cup red bell pepper, 1 ⅓ cups colby-jack cheese, and 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix gently.
- Divide the broccoli-cheese mixture into four portions and carefully stuff each chicken breast pocket. Secure the openings with toothpicks.
- Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mix over both sides of your stuffed chicken breasts.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Brown two chicken breasts at a time for 3-4 minutes per side until golden.
- Return all browned chicken to the skillet, cover with foil, and bake for 18-20 minutes until the internal temperature hits 165F.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes after baking. Remove toothpicks before serving your delicious stuffed chicken.
Notes
- Always use a sharp paring knife to create a pocket in chicken breasts without cutting completely through, which helps prevent filling from leaking.
- Check cheese mixture consistency before stuffing – it should hold together but not be too wet, so drain any excess moisture from vegetables.
- Monitor internal chicken temperature carefully and use a meat thermometer to ensure 165F for safe cooking without drying out the meat.
- Consider swapping colby-jack cheese with alternatives like Swiss or mozzarella if preferred, and use low-fat mayonnaise for a lighter version of the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 447 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 415 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg