Made with a creamy sauce and a hint of spice, this Easy Baked Cheesy Chicken Recipe is a quick family dinner guaranteed to fill you up and keep you satisfied. Serve it over pasta or rice with your favorite sides for a meal the whole family will love!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Cheesy Chicken
Is there anything more kid-friendly than the combination of chicken and cheese? Seriously, whether it’s in recipes like this Chicken Tetrazzini or Marry Me Chicken, it’s a pairing that’s always guaranteed to please. However, this cheesy chicken might be the best version we’ve made yet! Quick to make and packed with just a hint of spice, it’s an easy dinner that the whole family will love, no matter their age. However, that’s not the only reason why we love it! It’s also:
- Easy to prepare and requires minimal cleanup.
- Super versatile for a fancy date-night dinner or low-carb lunch.
- Great to make ahead of time and keep on hand.
- Budget-friendly and loaded with protein.
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need
A go-to comfort food, this cheesy chicken comes together with just a few staples including:
- Chicken – Because there’s already plenty of fat in this dish, we prefer to use chicken breasts, but feel free to use thighs if that’s what you prefer.
- Herbs and Seasonings – salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, and garlic turn chicken from boring and bland to bursting with flavor.
- Heavy Cream – This forms the base of the cheesy sauce, creating a smooth texture and rich taste.
- Cornstarch – When combined with the heavy cream, cornstarch begins to absorb liquid and expands, creating a thick cheese sauce.
- Mild Green Chilies – We use canned mild chilies to add just a bit of heat to this cheesy chicken, making it unbelievably good!
- Cheese – Our favorite cheese is Tillamook Triple Cheddar Thick-Cut shredded cheese. However, feel free to use whatever you have on hand and like best.
- Spinach – Used to add a pop of color and extra nutrients, spinach cooks down and becomes virtually tasteless. So, your kids won’t even notice it’s there!
Optional Add-Ins
One of the great things about this dish is its simplicity. However, you can easily bulk it up with extra ingredients such as:
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Fresh Parsley
How to Make the Best Baked Cheesy Chicken Recipe
Take a look at an overview of the instructions below, and be sure to read the recipe card at the bottom for the full details!
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Slice the chicken, and use a meat mallet to pound it down into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Arrange the chicken in a baking dish, and season both sides.
- In a measuring cup, combine the cream, chilies, garlic, and cornstarch, and pour it over the chicken.
- Bake uncovered. Then, remove from the oven, and add the cheese and spinach.
- Bake again until cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, and serve warm over rice or pasta.
Serving Suggestions
There’s no right or wrong way to serve this cheesy chicken recipe. However, some of our favorite pairings include:
- Over
spaghetti noodles for a comforting pasta dish - With rice for a classic recipe
- On top of zoodles (zucchini noodles) or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option
- With mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food
- Along with veggie-loaded sides like roasted carrots, a Greek salad, or cucumber and tomato salad
More Family-Friendly Chicken Recipes
Looking for more weeknight dinner options? Try out some of these crowd-pleasing recipes!
- Our Oven-Baked Chipotle Chicken Skewers are a perfect handheld dinner to have on those warm spring and summer nights!
- Put a fun twist on Taco Tuesday with easy Baked Chicken Tacos.
- A simple, healthy recipe that’s ready in under an hour, Chicken and Broccoli Rice is always a winner.
- A classic recipe, this Chicken Shawarma is straightforward to make and always incredible.
Easy Baked Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pounds chicken breast, sliced into four pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 4 ounces canned mild green chilies
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Slice chicken breast into 4 pieces, and pound them down until they are a 1/2 inch thick.
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, and paprika.
- In a 11×7 baking dish arrange the chicken breast, and season both sides.
- In a measuring cup, combine heavy cream, green chilies, garlic cloves, and corn starch until smooth.
- Pour the heavy cream mixture over the chicken. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with spinach and shredded cheese. Bake uncovered in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
- Serve over pasta or rice and, garnish with chopped Italian parsley and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe!!! Delicious and easy to make. Great for leftovers too!! I put it over rice.
Thank you so much, Laura!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa