Creamy Ricotta Chicken Bake (Printable Version)

Creamy ricotta and mozzarella-topped baked chicken with herbs and a golden breadcrumb crust for an easy weeknight dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Ricotta Filling

02 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
03 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Topping

09 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 - 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free optional)
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and well blended.
04 - Spoon the ricotta mixture evenly over each chicken breast, spreading it to cover the entire surface.
05 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the ricotta-topped chicken breasts.
06 - In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with olive oil and dried Italian herbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the mozzarella layer.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the topping is golden brown.
08 - Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The ricotta layer keeps the chicken incredibly moist even if you accidentally overbake it by a few minutes, which I have done more times than I care to admit.
  • It looks like something you spent hours on but the hands on time is barely fifteen minutes, making it the ultimate dinner party trick.
  • Everything bakes in one dish so cleanup is basically nonexistent.
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts vary wildly in thickness the thin ones will dry out before the thick ones finish cooking, so take a minute to even them out before baking.
  • Letting the baked dish rest is not optional because cutting into it immediately will cause the ricotta layer to spill out in a messy pool.
03 -
  • Drain your ricotta in a fine mesh strainer for ten minutes before mixing because excess moisture makes the topping soggy and dilutes the flavor of the whole dish.
  • Broil for the final two minutes if the topping needs more color but watch it every twenty seconds because breadcrumb goes from golden to burnt in a heartbeat.

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