Chicken Bruschetta Casserole (Printer-friendly)

Tender baked chicken topped with fresh tomato-basil bruschetta and melted mozzarella in a comforting Italian-inspired dish.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Bruschetta Topping

06 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
07 - ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - ½ teaspoon salt
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Casserole Assembly

14 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 1 cup dried Italian bread cubes or gluten-free bread cubes

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and rub evenly with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine the quartered cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, minced garlic, chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Toss gently until well combined.
04 - Spoon the bruschetta mixture evenly over the seasoned chicken breasts.
05 - Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the bruschetta layer. Scatter the bread cubes across the top of the casserole.
06 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F) and the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
07 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • All the bright garlicky flavor of bruschetta without standing over a pan making individual toasts for an hour.
  • The bread cubes soak up tomato juices and melted cheese into something almost dangerously good.
  • It works with gluten-free bread or no bread at all for a low carb night.
02 -
  • Do not skip the five minute rest because cutting into it right away means all those delicious juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the chicken.
  • Toasting the bread cubes in a little olive oil before adding them takes the top from good to the thing everyone fights over.
03 -
  • Let the bruschetta mixture sit for ten minutes before spooning it onto the chicken so the tomatoes release some of their juices and the garlic mellows slightly.
  • Use the sharpest Parmesan you can find because a little goes a long way and it makes the golden crust taste infinitely better.

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