Baked Ricotta Chicken
By Alli BerkeyPublished on March 1, 2017
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Bread Crumbs
½ cup panko bread crumbs 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ⅛ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepperChicken
8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup)1 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded ½ inch thick1 ½ cups jarred pasta sauce 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basilBefore You Begin
Our favorite ricotta is BelGioioso Ricotta con Latte Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. It is thicker and richer than the other products we tasted, so it stays in place when the chicken is baked. Serve the chicken with pasta or bread.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl. Microwave until panko is light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process ricotta, Parmesan, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly add 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated; transfer ricotta mixture to bowl and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes.
- Evenly spread ¾ cup sauce in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Transfer chicken to dish, shingling breasts in center of dish on top of sauce. Pour remaining 3/4 cup sauce over chicken, then top each piece with 1/3 cup ricotta mixture. Sprinkle chicken evenly with panko mixture. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
for the bread crumbs
for the chicken
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Bread Crumbs
Chicken
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Bread Crumbs
Chicken
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Bread Crumbs
Chicken
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We knew that ricotta has a tendency to break and dry out when baked, so we processed it with some oil to both add richness and smooth out its texture. We jump-started the chicken by browning it in a skillet before shingling the pieces in a pasta sauce–lined baking dish. We avoided the complicated step of stuffing the chicken by instead layering the chicken with the sauce, ricotta mixture, and bread crumbs.
Before You Begin
Our favorite ricotta is BelGioioso Ricotta con Latte Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. It is thicker and richer than the other products we tasted, so it stays in place when the chicken is baked. Serve the chicken with pasta or bread.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl. Microwave until panko is light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process ricotta, Parmesan, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly add 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated; transfer ricotta mixture to bowl and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes.
- Evenly spread ¾ cup sauce in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Transfer chicken to dish, shingling breasts in center of dish on top of sauce. Pour remaining 3/4 cup sauce over chicken, then top each piece with 1/3 cup ricotta mixture. Sprinkle chicken evenly with panko mixture. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
for the bread crumbs
for the chicken
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