Description
Baked cream cheese chicken comes together when you layer tender chicken breasts with a rich, tangy cream cheese mixture and let the oven do the work for you. Your family gets a comforting, satisfying dinner that tastes fancy but takes just minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Sauce and seasonings:
- 0.5 cup milk
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set your oven to 375°F and lightly oil a baking dish so nothing sticks.
- Blend 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until the mixture turns smooth.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.
- Place your 4 chicken breasts in the hot skillet and sear them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they develop light browning.
- Transfer the seared chicken to your prepared baking dish in a single layer.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly across your chicken breasts, making sure each piece gets covered.
- Slide the dish into your preheated 375°F oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until your chicken reaches full doneness and the sauce bubbles gently with golden edges.
Notes
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened before mixing so the sauce comes together smoothly without lumps that are hard to blend out.
- Searing the chicken in the skillet creates a golden crust that keeps the meat juicier during baking, even though the sauce will keep it moist.
- Check that your chicken reaches 165°F internally with a meat thermometer to know for certain it’s fully cooked through without guessing.
- For a dairy-free version, replace the cream cheese with cashew cream and swap milk for unsweetened plant-based alternatives, keeping the same amounts and seasonings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg