Chicken Pepperoni Bake: Pizza in a Casserole

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 02/10/23
Chicken Pepperoni Bake: Pizza in a Casserole

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
231 Calories
12g Fat
7g Carbs
22g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 231
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 348mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 76mg 6%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 250mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This easy recipe uses pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and herbs to spice up chicken breasts. If you think this sounds a lot like pizza, you're right. Pizza sans crust, that is. It's comfort food for sure, with an Italian twist.

This recipe is from the book "At Home in the Kitchen" by Jorj Morgan.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Sauce:

  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon basil

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Topping:

  • 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced

  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Chicken Breasts

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cooking the chicken breasts

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Pound chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.

    Chicken pounded between plastic wrap on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil in a shallow skillet over medium-high heat.

    Oil in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Combine breadcrumbs with oregano and garlic powder in a bowl. Season mixture with salt and freshly ground pepper.

    Breadcrumbs with the oregano and garlic powder in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Coat chicken breasts with breadcrumbs.

    Coat the chicken breasts with the breadcrumbs

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Sauté chicken breasts in olive oil until browned, about 4 minutes on each side.

    Chicken cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Remove chicken to a baking dish and set aside.

    Chicken in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Combine tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder in a saucepan.

    Combine the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, and garlic powder in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

    Tomato sauce cooking in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

    Tomato sauce in a saucepan, seasoned with salt and pepper

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Assemble and Bake the Casserole

  1. Gather prepared chicken, sauce, and topping ingredients.

    Chicken Pepperoni Bake: Pizza in a Casserole ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Pour sauce over browned chicken in baking pan.

    Pour the sauce over the browned chicken in the baking pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place slices of pepperoni on top of each chicken breast and sprinkle tops with mozzarella cheese.

    Cheese on top of the sauce and chicken in the baking pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and just begins to brown.

    Chicken Pepperoni Bake: Pizza in a Casserole

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

 

Serving Suggestions
Since this is sort of like eating chicken and pepperoni pizza without the crust, you need a starch to round it out. Pasta tossed in butter with sautéed onions and mushrooms, garnished with parsley is a good option. Or just a simple side of spaghetti tossed in olive oil and garlic is a tasty complement. Add garlic bread (more carbs, but this is Italian night) and an Italian green salad with lettuce, artichoke hearts, red onion, and Parmesan with vinaigrette dressing to round out the meal.

Wash this all down with a dry white wine (it's chicken) like Orvieto or pinot grigio. If you prefer red wine, you can feel good about going that direction because the chicken is in tomato sauce, and then there's the pepperoni too. So go ahead and indulge in a Chianti, barbera, Valpolicella, or Montepulciano.