Description
Cheese Chicken is a comforting and flavorful main course featuring tender chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan-flour crust, sautéed to golden perfection, and smothered in a creamy cheddar and Parmesan cheese sauce enhanced with broccoli and subtle spices. Optionally topped with crispy bacon, this dish pairs wonderfully with baked potatoes for a satisfying meal.
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 shallow dish and set aside. Slice the chicken breasts into 2-3 thinner slices about ½ inch thick. Pound with a meat tenderizer if needed to even out thickness. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels.
- Cook the Chicken: Season each chicken slice on both sides with salt, pepper, and the Italian seasonings. Dredge each piece in the flour-Parmesan mixture, tapping off excess flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 chicken pieces, leaving space between them. Sauté for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and crusty. Remove cooked chicken and set aside. Repeat with remaining pieces, adding more olive oil as needed.
- Make the Sauce: Wipe excess oil from the pan but retain any browned bits (fond) for flavor. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the pan and deglaze. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux. Gradually whisk in chicken broth in small splashes, stirring constantly to maintain thickness. Then add milk gradually in the same way. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and hot sauce. Add the finely chopped broccoli and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes until broccoli softens.
- Finish the Sauce and Combine: Lower the heat to low and allow the sauce to cool slightly. Slowly sprinkle in the shredded cheddar and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese while stirring continuously until melted and smooth. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Let the chicken heat through for 5 minutes uncovered.
- Serve: If using bacon, crumble the cooked strips over the chicken right before serving. Serve hot with baked potatoes or your preferred side dish.
Notes
- If chicken breasts are smaller, you can use 3-4 instead of 2.
- To reduce sodium, use unsalted butter and low sodium chicken broth and skip salting the chicken.
- Ensure the sauce base isn’t too hot when adding cheese to avoid graininess. Always shred cheese from blocks for best melt and flavor.
- Pounding the chicken with the textured side of a meat mallet creates texture to help the breading cling and results in juicier meat.
- The hot sauce enhances flavor without making the dish spicy.
- Optional: Cook bacon until crispy, crumble on top, and reserve drippings to cook chicken or make roux instead of butter.
- Nutrition facts assume all flour is used for dredging but there may be some excess left unused.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg
