19. Chicken Mozzarella Bake

Chicken Mozzarella Bake

Chicken

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  4 small chicken breasts skinless, boneless, thin or pounded out
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  1 tbsp garlic powder
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  1 tbsp onion powder
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  1 tbsp Italian seasoning
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  Salt & black pepper to taste
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  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Tomato Sauce

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  1 can chopped tomatoes 16 oz
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  3 garlic cloves minced
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  1/2 red onion finely chopped
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  2 tsp oregano
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  salt and black pepper to taste

Topping & Garnish

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  1 cup grated mozzarella
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  A few basil leaves chopped for garnish

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375F.
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• Take your chicken breasts. Make sure the breasts you use are smaller and thinner, if not, pound them out to ensure they have flavor later on.
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• On a cutting board, make cuts on one side of the chicken breasts without fully cutting through. This will help for the seasonings to get inside the meat.
  
• Flip your chicken breasts on the board and sprinkle with half of the garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Rub the seasoning in.
  
• Place your chicken breasts into a baking dish with the cut-up side facing up.

• Sprinkle with the remainder of the seasonings so both sides are covered. Drizzle with olive oil.
  
• Rub it in like you did with the other side. The more seasoning gets inside the cuts, the more flavor there'll be.
  
• In a bowl mix together sauce ingredients: chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, red onion, oregano, salt and black pepper.
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• Cover chicken breasts with tomato sauce and sprinkle with grated mozzarella.
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• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Broil for 4 minutes afterwards.
  
• Serve with chopped basil sprinkled over the top.