Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread – an incredibly easy and satisfying cheesy bread that effortlessly transforms into a complete meal. Loaded with perfectly grilled chicken, a vibrant sweet red pepper sauce, fresh tomatoes, and an abundance of melty, delicious cheese, this recipe is a family favorite for a reason!
Unleashing Your Inner Chef: The Culinary Challenge at Home
Have you ever found yourself captivated by cooking shows like “Chopped,” imagining the thrill of competing? The idea of creating something extraordinary under pressure, with a mystery basket of ingredients, can be incredibly exciting. That is, until you see something truly unexpected like pickled eggs or gefilte fish in the mix! Yet, the spirit of a cooking challenge, especially one that allows you to flex your creative muscles in the comfort of your own kitchen, remains incredibly appealing.
Picture this: you have all the time you need to conceptualize your dish, and every ingredient is conveniently at your fingertips. No frantic supermarket dashes, no last-minute substitutions. Just pure culinary exploration, with the star of the show often being a pantry staple everyone loves: cheese.
Sargento invited home cooks to embrace their very own “Chopped at Home” challenge, featuring their exceptional shredded cheeses. For this particular challenge, the “mystery basket” contained a delicious and inspiring quartet of ingredients:
- Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Red bell pepper
- Greek yogurt
This fantastic combination offered boundless possibilities for creativity, urging participants to think outside the box while showcasing the versatility and quality of Sargento cheese. You can discover more about the “Chopped at Home” contest and how to enter your own inspired dish featuring Sargento cheese HERE.
My Strategy for Culinary Success
When faced with a cooking challenge, especially one with a time limit and discerning judges, my personal strategy is always to rely on what I know best. It’s not the moment for experimental leaps into the unknown, but rather a chance to elevate a familiar favorite. My approach is to take a beloved base recipe and ingeniously incorporate the challenge ingredients, transforming it into something new and exciting without sacrificing comfort or familiarity.
For this “Chopped at Home” challenge, I immediately thought of one of the most popular and versatile recipes on Crunchy Creamy Sweet: our Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread. This recipe is a clear winner for two main reasons. Firstly, bread and cheese are a match made in heaven, making it the perfect canvas to highlight Sargento’s premium shredded cheese. Secondly, I’ve created countless variations of this cheesy bread over the years, proving its adaptability and potential to evolve into a satisfying, full-fledged meal.
Crafting the Perfect Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread: A Recipe Journey
The selection of Sargento’s 6 Cheese Italian blend—a sophisticated mix of low moisture part-skim Mozzarella, smoked Provolone, Romano, Fontina, fresh Asiago, and Parmesan—naturally guided my culinary theme towards an Italian-inspired creation. Specifically, I envisioned a delicious Italian chicken dish. The next step was to devise a complementary sauce using the red bell pepper and Greek yogurt, the remaining challenge ingredients.
I began by grilling the red bell pepper slices on a griddle until they were perfectly softened and slightly charred, enhancing their natural sweetness. These were then pureed with a portion of the Greek yogurt in a small food processor, seasoned with a pinch of salt and a dash of black pepper, resulting in a wonderfully smooth and flavorful sweet red pepper sauce. The subtle flecks of pepper added a delightful visual and textural element.
Next, the boneless, skinless chicken breast was seasoned and expertly grilled until tender and juicy. Once cooked, I sliced it into inviting pieces and layered them generously over the vibrant red pepper sauce spread across the bread. To add a burst of freshness and color, I arranged large, thinly sliced fresh tomatoes over the chicken. The grand finale was a generous topping of the exquisite Sargento shredded cheese, ensuring every bite would be packed with rich, cheesy goodness. A quick bake in a hot oven transformed this layered bread into a golden, bubbling Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread, which was devoured by my family for dinner.
As a final, inspired touch, I quickly whipped up a garlic Greek yogurt aioli. By simply blending the remaining Greek yogurt with minced garlic, a hint of salt, and pepper, I created a creamy, zesty dip that perfectly complemented the cheesy bread. This aioli truly completed the dish, adding an extra layer of flavor and moisture that made every bite irresistible.
Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread Recipe
Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread – an easy cheesy bread that quickly becomes a meal, all thanks to grilled chicken, sweet red pepper sauce, tomatoes and lots of cheese!
Author: Anna (CrunchyCreamySweet.com)
This recipe is an original creation by CrunchyCreamySweet.com.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 11 mins
Total Time: 26 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 694 kcal per serving
Ingredients
- 1 Italian bread loaf
- ½ large red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 8 oz container of plain Greek yogurt
- Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian (to taste)
- 1 large fresh tomato
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- Slice the Italian bread loaf lengthwise, creating two halves, and place both pieces on the prepared baking sheet.
- Preheat a counter-top griddle or a grill pan to a medium heat. Lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray.
- Arrange the red pepper slices on the griddle and grill until they are softened and slightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the peppers from the griddle and place them on a small plate to cool slightly.
- Season the boneless, skinless chicken breast with salt and pepper. For faster cooking, you can slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thinner cutlets. Cook on the griddle until thoroughly cooked through and golden brown, about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness.
- Turn off the griddle. Remove the cooked chicken from the griddle and place it on a plate to cool until it’s safe to handle.
- Once the grilled pepper is cool enough, place it into a food processor. Add 4 oz. of the plain Greek yogurt, a dash of salt, and a dash of black pepper. Process until the sauce is smooth. Don’t worry if there are small flecks of pepper; they add character.
- Evenly spread the sweet red pepper sauce over both pieces of the sliced Italian bread.
- Slice or shred the cooled grilled chicken and arrange it generously on top of the red pepper sauce on both bread halves.
- Slice the fresh tomato into large, thin rounds and arrange them over the chicken.
- Liberally top the entire surface of both bread halves with Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian.
- Bake the cheesy bread in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cheese is beautifully melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.
- Carefully remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board to cool slightly to room temperature before slicing.
- While the bread cools, prepare the garlic Greek yogurt aioli: Place the remaining 4 oz. of plain Greek yogurt and the minced garlic in a small food processor. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Process until smooth, usually about 10 to 12 seconds. Transfer the aioli to a small serving bowl.
- Slice the Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread into desired portions. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh parsley (if using), and offer the homemade garlic Greek yogurt aioli for dipping or drizzling. Enjoy this comforting and flavorful meal!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 19.2mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2.6mg
Serving Suggestions and Variations
This Italian Chicken Cheesy Bread is a hearty and satisfying meal on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a simple green salad dressed with a light vinaigrette, offering a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors. For those who enjoy a heartier accompaniment, a side of roasted asparagus or a bowl of creamy tomato soup would be excellent choices. You could also serve it alongside a crisp white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, to complement the Italian flavors.
Feeling creative? This recipe is incredibly adaptable! Consider adding thinly sliced red onion for a sharper bite, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a touch of heat, or even some sautéed mushrooms for an earthy depth. For a different cheese profile, experiment with other Sargento Chef Blends that you love. If you prefer a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken and replace it with grilled zucchini or eggplant slices, maintaining the delicious cheesy essence. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to tailor this meal to your family’s preferences and whatever fresh ingredients you have on hand.
Join the Culinary Adventure!
Now it’s your turn to unleash your inner chef! Don your creativity hat (and apron!) and gather your chosen ingredients. Think about how you can best utilize the core components of the Sargento “Chopped at Home” challenge – the quality Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian blend, succulent boneless skinless chicken breast, vibrant red bell pepper, and creamy Greek yogurt – to craft your own winning dish. Get inspired, get cooking, and remember to enter the contest HERE to share your culinary masterpiece!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento®. The opinions and text are all mine.