This pizza-inspired skillet combines chicken, bread, marinara, and cheese for a super simple speedy meal that the whole family will love. It also reminds me of chicken parmesan but without the heavy breading and messy frying. Chicken gets pan seared until golden and topped with your favorite marinara. Crusty chunks of bread get nestled into the sauce and then everything gets covered in cheese. As it bakes, the cheese gets deliciously melty and bits of bread get crispy crunchy on top and soaked with marinara underneath. I like to top it off with parmesan and fresh basil and serve alongside a simple green salad.
Ingredient highlight
Chicken! Chicken is a great way to get in high quality protein that’s also packed with selenium, choline, niacin (Vitamin B3), and vitamin B6, and B12.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)*
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups marinara
- 3 slices crusty bread, torn into pieces (about 5 oz)
- 1 ½ – 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese, for topping
- Fresh basil (optional, for topping)
Serving suggestions:
- With a simple side salad
- Over a bed of sauteed greens
- With a side of roasted veggies or sauteed broccolini
- *You don’t want the chicken to be more than about 1-1 ½ inches thick. Some chicken is massive, so if your chicken breasts are very thick, slice them in half (lengthwise) into cutlets OR pound them out into thinner pieces. I also like to cut the chicken in half (crosswise) so that there are 6 pieces instead of 3.
- Add toppings! ~ Top your skillet with pepperoni, ricotta cheese, or any of your other favorite pizza toppings. If topping with veggies, it’s best to cook them first and then scatter over top (like mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc…).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- (See recipe note about chicken size).
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to rub the spices and oil all over the chicken.
- In a large oven-proof skillet (12-inch cast iron works best), warm the oil over medium-high heat and tilt the pan so the oil coats the skillet. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the marinara all over the chicken and give the pan a shake to distribute the sauce. If it’s not saucy enough or looks dry from the hot skillet, stir in a splash of water or more marinara (marinara brands can vary a lot in thickness).
- Nestle bread chunks all around the chicken. You want the bread to soak up some sauce but also get crispy on top (the best part!), so make sure some bread is still poking out of the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese evenly all over.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread pieces are crisp on top, cheese is melting, and sauce is bubbly. Let the skillet rest for a few minutes, then serve topped with parmesan and basil, if using. See serving suggestions.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Mix together oregano, salt, and pepper
- Grate 1 ½ – 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use two (15 oz) cans of drained white beans (or any cooked legume) in place of chicken. You could also sub with a vegetarian sausage or even blocks of (pressed) tofu.
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan cheese alternative or skip the cheese.
- To make gluten-free, use a gluten-free bread or skip the bread.
- To stretch your meat and get some more plant protein, you could use less chicken and add a can of drained white beans.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers in the microwave until just warm. It can help to cut up the chicken so it gets heated evenly. You could also reheat it covered in foil in a 325F oven until warmed through, then broil it for a minute or so to crisp it up.
- Serve with pasta, polenta, or rice.
- Cook up whatever veggies you have lying around to serve as a side or mixed in.
Servings 4 Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)*
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups marinara
- 3 slices crusty bread, torn into pieces (about 5 oz)
- 1 ½ - 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese, for topping
- Fresh basil (optional, for topping)
Serving suggestions:
- With a simple side salad
- Over a bed of sauteed greens
- With a side of roasted veggies or sauteed broccolini
- *You don’t want the chicken to be more than about 1-1 ½ inches thick. Some chicken is massive, so if your chicken breasts are very thick, slice them in half (lengthwise) into cutlets OR pound them out into thinner pieces. I also like to cut the chicken in half (crosswise) so that there are 6 pieces instead of 3.
- Add toppings! ~ Top your skillet with pepperoni, ricotta cheese, or any of your other favorite pizza toppings. If topping with veggies, it’s best to cook them first and then scatter over top (like mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc…).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- (See recipe note about chicken size).
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to rub the spices and oil all over the chicken.
- In a large oven-proof skillet (12-inch cast iron works best), warm the oil over medium-high heat and tilt the pan so the oil coats the skillet. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the marinara all over the chicken and give the pan a shake to distribute the sauce. If it’s not saucy enough or looks dry from the hot skillet, stir in a splash of water or more marinara (marinara brands can vary a lot in thickness).
- Nestle bread chunks all around the chicken. You want the bread to soak up some sauce but also get crispy on top (the best part!), so make sure some bread is still poking out of the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese evenly all over.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread pieces are crisp on top, cheese is melting, and sauce is bubbly. Let the skillet rest for a few minutes, then serve topped with parmesan and basil, if using. See serving suggestions.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Mix together oregano, salt, and pepper
- Grate 1 ½ - 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use two (15 oz) cans of drained white beans (or any cooked legume) in place of chicken. You could also sub with a vegetarian sausage or even blocks of (pressed) tofu.
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan cheese alternative or skip the cheese.
- To make gluten-free, use a gluten-free bread or skip the bread.
- To stretch your meat and get some more plant protein, you could use less chicken and add a can of drained white beans.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers in the microwave until just warm. It can help to cut up the chicken so it gets heated evenly. You could also reheat it covered in foil in a 325F oven until warmed through, then broil it for a minute or so to crisp it up.
- Serve with pasta, polenta, or rice.
- Cook up whatever veggies you have lying around to serve as a side or mixed in.
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