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Baked Italian-Style Chicken Thighs with Cheese and Pasta

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PREP TIME
5 min
COOKING TIME
30 min
TOTAL TIME
35 min
SERVINGS
4 servings
Dinner Italian
Baked Italian-Style Chicken Thighs with Cheese and Pasta
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1
First, preheat your oven to the desired temperature of 375 degrees F (or 190 degrees C for those using metric measurements).
2
Next, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt until well combined. Set this mixture aside for later use.
3
Now, take the chicken thighs and sprinkle both sides with garlic powder and a pinch of salt. This will add flavor to the chicken as it cooks.
4
In an oven-proof skillet, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs and cook them, skin-side down, until the bottoms are nicely browned. This should take around 3 to 4 minutes.
5
Flip the chicken thighs over and immediately remove the skillet from heat. On each thigh, spread an equal amount of the ricotta cheese mixture that you prepared earlier.
6
Spoon marinara sauce over and around each chicken thigh, making sure to cover the entire surface.
7
Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. This should take around 25 minutes.
8
To check if the chicken is cooked, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of each thigh. The temperature should read at least 165 degrees F (or 74 degrees C for metric measurements).
9
Once the chicken is cooked, top each thigh with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. Return the skillet to the oven and continue baking until the cheese is melted, taking around 2 to 3 minutes.
10
Finally, garnish each chicken thigh with a sprinkle of parsley and serve hot.