Quick and Easy Bruschetta Chicken Casserole

Quick and Easy Bruschetta Chicken Casserole is filled with tender chunks of chicken, fresh ripe juicy tomatoes, garlic, basil, and gooey cheese.  The tastiest and easiest weeknight casserole around!

 

Quick and Easy Bruschetta Chicken Casserole

Quick and easy throw-together meals are my thing right now.  If it can't be on the table in 30-45 minutes I don't even want to attempt it.  With a new puppy I'm all about simple and easy, yet tasty ingredients that pack a punch!  My Quick and Easy Bruschetta Chicken Casserole is that and more.

Tender bite sized pieces of chicken are stir fried then layers in a casserole dish along with fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, mozzarella cheese to meld in the oven. This makes the most heavenly sauce when baked.  Then top it with fresh basil.  Just 7 ingredients!  This is easy enough for a weeknight meal and packs a ton of flavor.  My husband totally raved about this dish, ate 2nds the first night and then took it the next day for lunch.  I love when that happens!  This one is a keeper!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

• Roma tomatoes - ripe ones

• garlic cloves 

• mozzarella cheese - buy a ball and grate it yourself for the best flavor

• dried oregano

• balsamic vinegar - you want a good quality one that has depth of flavor

• fresh basil - fresh is best for the most flavor punch

Substitutions and Variations

• Not tomato season? - buy Campari or cherry tomatoes that are ripe in the off season.

• Meat variation - use chicken thighs or chicken tenders cubed. 

• Ready-made suggestions -  Leftover sliced chicken or even rotisserie chicken sliced will work.  I would brown it in a skillet for just a minute or two to give it some more flavor.

• Cheese - leave off the cheese or substitute Monterey Jack or a little sprinkling of Parmesan 

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use an 8x8 pan or a casserole dish like these for this dish

• Use the freshest ingredients for the best flavor

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Quick and Easy Bruschetta Chicken Casserole

serves 4

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced in medium chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 - 1.2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and ground black pepper
fresh basil leaves, chopped



Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir fry the chicken, stirring often, until golden brown on the sides and almost cooked through.

Take an 8x8 baking/casserole dish and spray with cooking spray. Add the chicken to the dish. Top with tomatoes, oregano, and garlic. Stir to combine. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

 
Bake in the oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

Need an EASY DINNER IDEA?  Try my Butter Garlic Cajun Bites for a quick dinner in under 30 minutes!

 

Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

We just a new puppy (Bogie) and I am chasing him around so much that I don't have time for anything else. 

Boy do I ever need some quick dinner ideas!  We eat a lot of chicken and I'm sure you've seen the viral videos for the Butter Garlic Chicken or Steak bites, so I decided to do a variation on that by adding some more flavor.  Cajun flavor.  

These little bites of heaven are rich and full of buttery herb flavors.  They are so quick to make you will have them on the table in under 30 minutes.  They make a healthy meal that is low in carbs, gluten-free, and Keto friendly.  With the addition of a few more spices and some hot sauce you can have these Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites as your next meal.  A one pan dinner in under 30 minutes.  Just add a simple side dish and you have an easy weeknight meal!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• onion powder

• butter

• olive oil

• garlic cloves

• Italian seasoning

• hot sauce - I like Sriracha

• low-sodium chicken broth

• fresh lemon

• parsley

• Crushed red chili pepper flakes

Substitutions and Variations

• Can't handle the heat?  Leave out the hot sauce

• Substitute the protein:  This would work with steak or pork as well.  Just cut bite sized pieces and follow the instructions.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• You can enrich the sauce by adding some white wine instead of chicken broth

• Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken bites. Cook in batches if necessary, so each chicken bite has this delicious crisp golden crust!

• For a variant you can use whole chicken tenders instead. They’re delicious, and you can skip the cutting board! 

• What to serve with chicken bites?  I like serving these with basmati rice, roasted or pan-seared asparagus, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, or summer squash.

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Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon hot sauce, (Sriracha)
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
Slices of lemon, for garnish

Season bite-sized chicken chunks with salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Heat half of the butter (4 Tablespoons) and olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gently stir-fry the chicken on all sides until golden brown.

Lower the temperature, add two teaspoons minced garlic, the remaining butter, and Italian seasoning and stir and cook with chicken bites until fragrant. Depending on your skillet size you may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid crowding the pan and have steamed chicken instead of browned pieces.

Deglaze the skillet with a little chicken broth, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Toss the chicken bites in the sauce to coat.

Garnish the garlic butter chicken bites with parsley, crushed chili pepper, and serve with lemon slices immediately. 

Spring Fling: 14 Strawberry Recipes

May is the start of strawberry season and here is a round up of 14 irresistible strawberry recipes!

 

14 Strawberry Recipes

Each year in May we have our Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, Ca.  It's filled with lots of booths selling artistic creations and crafts, food vendors selling strawberry delicacies, and then there's the heavenly strawberries themselves!  We always bring home a flat of these gems so I can make all the different dishes that include this luscious fruit.

Below is a round up with links to 14 of my favorite strawberry recipes.  I hope you enjoy them.

1.  Strawberry Lime Slushy - perfect to cool down with on a summer afternoon.

2.  Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake - a throwback recipe that is the best around!

3.  Strawberry Pear Smoothie - The perfect drink during the Spring when strawberries are popping up and pears are still around.  The pears lend a delicate flavor that compliments the strawberries.

4.  Spinach and Strawberry Salad - The perfect light salad.  Simple and delicious.  Great for Mother's day, Easter, or Memorial Day.

5.  Strawberry Banana Pancakes - get ready for all those Spring brunches.  This recipe is a crowd pleaser!

6.  Strawberry Shortcake Scones - I've made these scones for Mother's Day for many years.  They are elegant, flavorful, and lend something special to the day.

7.  Strawberry Waffles with Yogurt - These waffles are sweet with the flavor of strawberries in the batter and light with a dollop of yogurt instead of the heavy maple syrup.

8.  Strawberry Avocado Toast - this recipe is a WINNER!  Strawberries, avocado, and feta top toasted bread for one heck of a combination!

9.  Healthy Breakfast Banana Split - Banana Split for breakfast?  Yes! This modified version uses yogurt along with strawberries and almonds to top bananas.  It's heaven on a plate.

10.  Strawberry Couscous Spinach Salad - A favorite salad during the Spring and Summer months featuring strawberries and couscous.  Great for the 4th of July!

11.  Lighter Strawberry Crisp - An delicious dessert for spring and summer.  This is a lighter version!

12.  Strawberry Crostini - A great appetizer for any summer gathering.

13.  Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars - I love these bars.  These are the best snacks!  I made these recently to take along with us on a road trip to Oceanside.

14.  Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins - Muffins are a great breakfast treat.  These are filled with fresh strawberries and bananas that the whole family love.