Baked Chicken Casserole with Basil and Roasted Peppers
This simple baked chicken recipe is perfect for busy nights. When you serve it, think about serving with rice or mashed potatoes (vegetables work, too). The chicken is cooked in lots of cooking liquid made from orange juice, lemon juice, and garlic, so when you serve the chicken you can spoon lots of that same cooking liquid over the chicken and any side dish. It's delicious.
This simple baked chicken recipe is perfect for busy nights. When you serve it, think about serving with rice or mashed potatoes (vegetables work, too). The chicken is cooked in lots of cooking liquid made from orange juice, lemon juice, and garlic, so when you serve the chicken you can spoon lots of that same cooking liquid over the chicken and any side dish. It's delicious.
- Carbohydrate 0.268768750001825 g
- Cholesterol 15.2515625065405 mg
- Fat 5.76149062746744 g
- Fiber 0.0257499994337559 g
- Protein 0.127684375025858 g
- Saturated Fat 3.64484125156266 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (9g)
- Sodium 79.7705000175225 mg
- Sugar 0.243018750568069 g
- Trans Fat 0.40467812517273 g
- Calories 52 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice each chicken breast on an angle into 1-inch slices and season with salt and pepper.
- Open jar of roasted red peppers, drain, and then cut the peppers into smaller chunks. (Try to make them the same size as the basil leaves).
- Scatter garlic in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Pour half of the orange juice and half of the lemon juice mixture over garlic. Starting in one corner of the baking dish, alternate chicken slices with pieces of roasted red pepper and basil leaves then pour the remaining orange and lemon juice over chicken. Cut butter into small squares then scatter over chicken.
- Bake the chicken until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (if you have a thermometer, when inserted into the chicken, it should read 165 degrees F); 20 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken over mashed potatoes, rice or vegetables. There will be lots of extra cooking liquid to spoon over the chicken.
Acid Balancing
Fresh lemon and orange juices supply different acid profiles that mellow during a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven bake. Bottled citrus lacks the volatile oils found in fresh fruit skins, altering the aromatic brightness of the pan liquid. Slicing the 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts on an angle increases surface area to absorb these liquids more efficiently.Preserved Elements
Jarred roasted red peppers provide concentrated glutamates developed through fire-roasting and peeling. Rinsing and draining jarred peppers removes excess brine before combining them with fresh minced garlic and butter dots. Cutting the peppers to match the dimensions of the basil leaves ensures even distribution across the baking dish.Pan Juices
Baking proteins in a shallow 2-quart dish concentrates the rendering fats and citrus juices into an emulsified pan sauce. Internal temperatures must reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit within 20 to 30 minutes to prevent the lean breast meat from drying out. Starch-heavy sides like rice or mashed potatoes absorb the abundant cooking liquid effectively without diluting the garlic flavor.
