Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts
| |

Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you (thank you!). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts are a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner. They’re packed with flavor & creamy, cheesy goodness. Plus, it’s an incredibly versatile dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of sides.

Breadcrumb topped roasted chicken breasts with thyme in a cast iron skillet.

Baked Creamy Chicken Breasts with Gruyere

Perfectly roasted, tender chicken breasts can be hard to come by, but these hit the mark! 

They’re topped with just enough Gruyere and creamy sauce to make them luscious, and roasted just long enough to maintain their juiciness. With bubbly cheese and toasted bread crumbs, it’s a comfort food the whole family or your guests will love.

They pair wonderfully with any number of vegetable dishes or a crispy salad. Quick to make, and lovely for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. Add this to your bank of easy recipes!

Tablet displaying the cover of menus for entertaining e-book.

Menus for Entertaining

Get everything you need to pull off 3 sensational parties in our subscriber exclusive eBook! Choose from Cozy Dinner Party, Mimosa Brunch or Game Day Grazing…with recipes, prep timelines and grocery lists.

Gather Your Ingredients

In addition to pantry staples of cooking spray, kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper, you’ll need:

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts 
  • Gruyere cheese — if unavailable, substitute with Swiss, a white cheddar or mozzarella cheese 
  • Unsalted butter 
  • Garlic cloves
  • All-purpose flour — used to thicken the sauce.
  • Milk — my go-to is 2%, but any variety will work.
  • Dry vermouth — or white vermouth. I love cooking with vermouth because it adds an instant herbaceous quality to your dish. You can also use dry white wine or broth.
  • Panko bread crumbs — they’re perfectly light and crispy.
  • Fresh thyme 
  • Extra virgin olive oil 
Fresh thyme and breadcrumbs in a bowl with olive oil being drizzled over.

How To Make Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts

A lot of creamy chicken dishes use cream of chicken soup, but we’re making the cream sauce from scratch.

  1. Arrange chicken breasts in an oven safe baking dish and season with salt + pepper. Top with shredded Gruyere.
  2. Make the sauce by sautéing garlic in butter, then mix in flour. Whisk in milk and vermouth, then simmer until thickened. Season to taste, then spoon it on top of the chicken.
  3. Combine breadcrumbs with olive oil and fresh thyme, then sprinkle some on each chicken breast.
  4. Bake in a 425°F oven for 13 to 15 minutes until done (with an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat).

Helpful Recipe Tips

Slice whole breasts in half lengthwise.

This recipe is optimized to bake thinner cuts of chicken, or cutlets. You can sometimes find thin-sliced chicken breasts at the market, but I prefer to cut them myself starting with large breasts. Check out this video by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt to see how it’s done.

Shred the Gruyere by hand.

Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but shredded fresh from the block is best to avoid additives that can mess with meltability. Purchase the smallest block you can find as you only need a couple ounces for this recipe. Have extra? Use it for grilled cheese sandwiches, mac + cheese or pasta!

What kind of oven-safe dish to use.

Four pieces of chicken will nestle nicely into a 9-in by 13-in casserole dish. Use glass, ceramic, or enamel-coated cast iron. A large cast iron skillet works great, too.

How to store leftovers.

Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. 

Baked creamy cheesy chicken breasts with golden breadcrumbs and fresh thyme in a skillet.

What to Serve with This Creamy Chicken Bake Recipe

This is a versatile dish that will pair well with a variety of side dishes including:

What to Sip with Oven Baked Creamy Chicken

Pair this with lightly oaked Chardonnay, or a dry white like Chenin Blanc or Viognier. A medium dry cider or blonde ale would also be nice!

When to Make This

This dish is perfect for a busy night when you’re short on time or need a recipe for a last minute gathering. It’s easily scalable, too. 

Baked creamy cheese chicken breast being lifted out of a dish with melty cheese streaming down.

Looking for More Chicken Recipes?

Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts

Breadcrumb topped roasted chicken breasts with thyme in a cast iron skillet.
Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts are a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner. They’re packed with flavor & creamy, cheesy goodness. Plus, it's an incredibly versatile dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of sides.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Mise en Place 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serving Size 4

Ingredients

  • cooking spray
  • lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts) halved lengthwise to create 4 thin cutlets
  • kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper
  • 2 oz Gruyere cheese shredde
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp dry vermouth or white wine
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped (or other fresh herbs)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Arrange the chicken breasts in an oven-safe casserole spritzed with cooking spray. Season with kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper. Divide the gruyere over each piece of chicken.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the milk and wine all at once and whisk smooth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season with kosher salt + black pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce evenly over each chicken breast.
  • In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, thyme and olive oil. Distribute the breadcrumbs over the top of each chicken breast.
  • Bake the chicken for 13 to 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. (Check the temp at 13 minutes to be sure not to overcook the chicken.)

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 1mg

Pin for Later! Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts

Pin image for baked creamy cheesy chicken breasts.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments