Feta Chicken Bake
This easy feta cheese chicken bake is one of those recipes you'll want to make on repeat. Tender, juicy chicken bakes with rich, creamy feta, juicy tomatoes, plenty of garlic, roasted red peppers and seasonings. There ends up being so much flavor in every bite from simple ingredients. It’s tossed with a little pasta and pasta water to really elevate the meal into a filling, cozy dish.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 10 × 14 baking dish or similar in size
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta penne or similar shape
- 1 cup reserved pasta water from above
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup roasted red peppers diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp each salt & pepper more to taste as needed
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes more or less as desired
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 8 oz. block of feta cheese in brine if possible
- ½ bunch fresh parsley or basil, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 10×14 -inch baking dish.
- Prepare the chicken and vegetables. Add the cubed chicken, diced zucchini, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and minced garlic to the baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Add the feta. Place the block of feta in the center of the baking dish, nestling it between the chicken and vegetables. Drizzle the feta with a little additional olive oil, if desired.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, the tomatoes begin to burst, and the feta is soft and creamy.
- Cook the pasta. While the chicken bakes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Make the creamy feta sauce. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir the softened feta into the roasted vegetables and cooking juices until a creamy sauce forms. Add the fresh spinach and stir until wilted. If needed, return the dish to the oven for 2–3 minutes to help soften the spinach.
- Combine and serve. Add the cooked pasta and toss everything together, gradually adding reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. If you are using heavy cream, feel free to add it now. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve warm!
Notes
- If you want to use heavy cream instead of pasta water, that's great too.
- Start with just ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and add more as needed. The feta, tomatoes, and chicken release plenty of moisture while baking, so you may not need the full cup.
- loved the recipe as is, but I found when reheating adding a little heavy cream made it so much creamier which I felt I had to mention, if you crave a little more decadence - Feel free to add 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the dish and stir in with the feta prior to heating in the oven before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.