Tomato Mozza Chicken Skillet

Enjoy outdoor dining with our Tomato Mozza Chicken Skillet! Juicy chicken, creamy tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella unite in a cast iron camping delight.

Today’s 30-minute mozzarella chicken is just the kind of meal we want after a long day of hiking or hanging out at the beach. Juicy chicken breasts are cooked in a quick homemade tomato sauce and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese for a delicious take on chicken parmigiana.

When we put together our camping menu, we look for recipes with a short cook time and simple ingredients. We don’t want to spend so much time making meals that we miss out on all the fun of camping!

That being said, we still want to feed the family well. Snacks and sweets are fun, but they don’t sustain any of us for long.

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While you can cook up this easy chicken dinner at home on the stove top, it is an ideal addition to your camping menu as well. We always have at least one large cast iron skillet in our camp kitchen, so we have what we need.

Using thin chicken breasts means that the cooking time will be faster too and there will be less chance of undercooking the meat, especially when cooking over the fire.

Tips and Tricks

• Try this easy recipe with chicken thighs or chicken legs instead of chicken breasts.
• When planning for camping, I like to do as much meal prep as possible before we leave. Having easy access to hot running water makes clean up much easier.
• I cook the spaghetti noodles at home, ahead of time and store them in a freezer bag with a bit of olive oil to use with this dish later.
• Be sure your chicken is fully cooked, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
• Store any leftover chicken in the fridge or cooler in an airtight container.

Serve this easy mozzarella chicken over pasta or zucchini noodles. To save on camp cleanup, I sometimes just have a loaf of crusty bread with it. So simple and delicious!

Garnish with a few extra fresh basil leaves and you have yourself a restaurant quality meal in the middle of nature.

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Tips for cooking with cast iron

• When cooking with cast iron, be sure to season the surface first.
• Always use gloves or oven mitts while cooking as the surface of the iron will be hot.
• Cook the recipe over an open fire using hot coals, not open flames.  A fire that is too hot will burn the outside of your recipe and not cook the inside. Learn how to make a campfire for cooking.
• Be sure to clean the cast iron with a rough vegetable scrubber, rinse and dry thoroughly before storing.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Can crushed tomatoes
• Italian seasoning
• Heavy cream – milk or half and half works too.
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

1. Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut each breast in half horizontally into two thinner cutlets. Alternately, place the chicken under a layer of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness.

3. Season the chicken breast with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

4. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet.

5. Heat oil over medium heat until it starts to sizzle.

6. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

7. Flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

8. Remove the cooked chicken to a tray and cover to keep warm.

9. Repeat with any remaining cutlets.

10. Add garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant.

11. Add tomatoes, seasoning, basil, and parmesan cheese to the pan.

12. Stir and simmer on low heat for ten minutes.

13. Add chicken and plate juices back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

14. Place the mozzarella pieces on top of the sauce, cover with foil and put the skillet on a grill heated to 375 F or over the campfire.

15. Cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken is heated through and the cheese melts.

16. Top with fresh basil and serve on noodles.

Variations

• If you like your sauce spicy, add in some red pepper flakes.
• While I think fresh garlic cloves are best, you could try using garlic powder instead. Adjust the amount according to your tastes.
• Use your favorite grocery store marinara sauce.
• Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze before serving.

Enjoy a restaurant quality chicken dish in the great outdoors with this tomato mozzarella chicken skillet. The whole family will love it!

Skillet Chicken Recipes

For more easy dinner ideas to add to this year’s camping menu, check out these chicken skillet recipes.

• Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken Skillet
• Blackened Chicken Skillet
• Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken
• Easy Sweet Chili Chicken Skillet
• Honey Mustard Chicken Skillet
• Creamy Mushroom Chicken Skillet
• Tomato Mozza Chicken Skillet

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