Creamy Baked Chicken and Asparagus with Mozzarella Cream Sauce
By Felix Grant
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Searing chicken in olive oil before baking adds flavor and moisture to the chicken. Cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a skillet 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and bake with firm asparagus and mozzarella until the top is golden and bubbly around the edges.
After taking the chicken out of the pan, lower the heat when adding butter and garlic. Slowly whisk flour with broth. Add cream and cook to make a thick, spoon-coating gravy. Stir in more broth to thin the sauce if needed before baking. I like using an oven-safe skillet because it is easier to bake the chicken in the same pan.
Add asparagus to the skillet with and on top of the browned chicken. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the chicken and asparagus. Recommended: Use fresh asparagus for this recipe instead of frozen, as frozen asparagus will not hold up well when baked. Bake the chicken and asparagus until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the cheese is melted and browned in some areas.
Garnish with parsley and black pepper. Serve hot. Side dishes to serve with this recipe include Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Steamed rice will soak up some of the liquid from this dish. Crusty Sourdough Discard Focaccia is a good side-bread choice to serve with this recipe. Other options include Homemade Scalloped Potatoes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- A hot pan browns the chicken, and time in the oven completes cooking the interior of pieces of chicken in a creamy sauce.
- The sauce adheres to the chicken and asparagus instead of building up on the pan's surface.
- One ovenproof dish is used for browning and baking. Mozzarella is placed over the dish during baking.
- Fresh asparagus spears stay firm after roasting and have brown ends.
- If you have a small skillet, cook the chicken in batches to avoid steaming the chicken rather than browning it.
- Mozzarella cheese melts on top, and sauce bubbles underneath. This forms a thick layer that can be eaten.
Ingredients
- •4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb (680 g))
- •1 lb fresh asparagus (450 g, tough ends trimmed)
- •2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
- •2 tbsp butter (30 g)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •2 tbsp all-purpose flour (15 g)
- •½ cup chicken broth (120 ml)
- •1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
- •1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (112 g)
- •1 tsp salt (5 g)
- •½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (2.5 g, plus more for garnish)
- •2 tbsp fresh parsley (8 g, chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the chicken breasts dry, then season both sides with the salt and black pepper. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until a deep browned crust forms, then remove it from the skillet and set it aside.
- 3
Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, whisk in the flour, and cook the paste for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream until smooth. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 4
Return the chicken to the skillet and arrange the asparagus alongside it. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and more ground black pepper before serving hot.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
650
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