Spice up your dinner routine with this Easy Baked Cheesy Chicken Recipe! Creamy with a hint of spice, this chicken is downright irresistible. Serve it over pasta or rice or toss it in your favorite sides, and get ready for everyone at the table to be asking for more!
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 subtle 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
This cheesy chicken masterpiece comes together with just a few kitchen staples. Here’s what you’ll need to transform your dinner into a comfort-filled plate of deliciousness:
- 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
What makes this dish a winner? Its sheer simplicity! But if you’re in the mood to go big, you can easily amp it up with some extra ingredients, like:
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Fresh Parsley
How to Make the Best Baked Cheesy Chicken Recipe
Get a sneak peek of the instructions below, but don’t forget to dive into the recipe card at the bottom for all the juicy details on how to make this delectable cheesy chicken!
- 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 the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, and serve warm over rice or pasta.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving up this cheesy chicken, there’s no wrong move! But if you’re looking for a little culinary inspiration, here are some of our absolute favorite pairings:
- 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
Ready to conquer the weeknight dinner game? Dive into more of our crowd-pleasing recipes listed below!
- 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
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces canned mild green chilies
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice chicken breast into 4 pieces, and pound them down until they are a 1/2 inch thick.1 pounds chicken breast, sliced into four pieces
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, and paprika.1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 3/4 teaspoon 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 cornstarch until smooth.1 cup heavy cream, 3 minced garlic cloves, 4 ounces canned mild green chilies, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 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.1 cup fresh spinach, chopped, 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- Serve over pasta or rice and, garnish with chopped Italian parsley and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can you substitute the heavy cream for anything else?
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
I made this with Chipotle peppers in Adobe since that is what I had and it was DELICIOUS!! Definitely recommend!!
Thank you, Crystal! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa