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Delicious Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake photo

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake

If you’re a fan of pizza and chicken, then this…
Prep Time 18 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 jar 14 oz low-sugar pizza sauce, reduced to 1 cup (See note about pizza sauce)
  • 4 very large boneless-skinless chicken breasts at least 8 oz. each
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Greek oregano sometimes just called oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 6 oz. piece of Mozzarella sliced about 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 oz. sliced pepperoni regular or turkey pepperoni

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • large nonstick frying pan
  • meat mallet or heavy pan
  • heavy plastic bag
  • glass casserole dish
  • Plate
  • Paper Towels

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour the jar of pizza sauce into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to 1 cup (about 20 minutes). Set the reduced sauce aside.
  2. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts. Cut each breast crosswise into two same-size pieces (you will have 8 pieces total).
  3. Place one chicken piece at a time into a heavy plastic bag and pound with a meat mallet or heavy pan until as thin as you can get it without shredding the meat. Repeat with remaining pieces. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels if they are wet.
  4. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp Greek oregano and 1 tsp garlic powder. Evenly sprinkle this seasoning mixture on both sides of each chicken piece.
  5. Heat 1 T olive oil in your largest nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in a single layer (do batches if necessary), add the chicken pieces and cook 1–2 minutes per side just to brown them—do not cook through. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate as you finish each batch.
  6. Choose the smallest glass casserole dish that will fit all the browned chicken pieces in a single layer. Arrange the browned chicken pieces in the dish.
  7. Slice the 6 oz piece of mozzarella about 1/4 inch thick and cut the slices as needed so you have enough to mostly cover the top of each chicken piece.
  8. Spread the reduced pizza sauce evenly over the top of each chicken piece, using all of the sauce.
  9. Top each chicken piece with the mozzarella slices and then distribute the 2 oz sliced pepperoni over the tops so they mostly cover the cheese.
  10. Bake uncovered at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown and the pepperoni is slightly crisp. (Check that chicken is cooked through — an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C is a good indicator.)
  11. Let the dish rest a few minutes, then serve hot.

Notes

See note about pizza sauce: reduce the 14 oz jar to 1 cup by simmering.
Check internal temperature of chicken to ensure it reaches 165°F (74°C).