Baked Cream Cheese Chicken: 7 Reasons Why It's the Best Comfort Food!
This delightful baked chicken dish offers a combination of succulent chicken breasts topped with a rich, herby cream cheese sauce. Perfect for pairing with rice or steamed veggies for a full meal.
Prep
: 10
Total
: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs around 6 ounces each
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- 1.25 cups shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs for 4 minutes on each side until golden.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken stock, allowing it to simmer and reduce for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese, mixing until smooth.
- Add basil and crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Place chicken thighs in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cream cheese sauce over the chicken evenly.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the chicken. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Optionally, broil for the last 2 minutes to brown the cheese. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Garnish with fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy with sides like mashed potatoes or sautéed vegetables.
Notes
Adjust the spiciness by altering the amount of red pepper flakes. Use fresh herbs to enhance flavor.