Chicken can be cooked in many different ways for a tasty meal, but there is a quick and easy way to turn it into the ultimate comfort meal.
Mary Berry’s parmesan-crusted chicken is a simple dinner that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare before it bakes in the oven for 20 minutes, meaning it can be made from scratch in just 30 minutes.
This incredibly flavourful dish has a cheesy garlic sauce, tender chicken topped with golden breadcrumbs, and baked with zesty peppers.
It is the perfect dinner to serve on a summer evening when you want something delicious but do not want to spend ages cooking in the kitchen.
In her book ‘Cookery Course’, Mary said: “The cream cheese that coats the chicken creates a moist topping, so there is no need for a sauce with this. In summer, serve it with a green salad and new potatoes; in winter, provide a selection of seasonal green vegetables.”
Method
To begin, preheat the oven to 200C (Fan 180C or Gas Mark 6).
Brush oil over a roasting tin or baking tray, then lay the chicken in the tin. Brush each chicken with a little oil, then season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sun-blushed tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest and then season with pepper.
In another small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and chives, then season with pepper as well.
Spread a quarter of the cream cheese mixture of each chicken breast. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of each and then pat the breadcrumbs gently into the cream cheese.
Scatter the pepper wedges around the chicken, brush them with oil and season with pepper.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, the breadcrumb topping is golden and the peppers are charred around the edges.
Your tasty cheesy chicken is now ready to serve. Mary Berry suggests serving the dish with salad and new potatoes.
