Easy Chicken Pepperoni Recipe

If you are a fan of Chicken Parmesan, you will become a HUGE fan of Chicken Pepperoni. This recipe is in the regular rotation of things I prepare at home on busy nights. It looks great if you want to serve it as a company’s coming entree. Kids LOVE it and it freezes beautifully if you are making monthly meal plans and want to save prep time on future meals.

I use 5 – 6 oz chicken breast that I buy in a big bag from Sam’s Club. They are individually frozen so you can just take out the number you need for this recipe. With a small list of ingredients, you can prep this for cooking rather quickly.

If you plan to freeze extras, I recommend using foil pans with lids (you can get these at Sam’s too). You can even measure out a Ziploc bag of marinara to put into the pan with the chicken so that the complete meal is ready to cook once thawed.

This recipe is a clear favorite for families and gives you a chance to serve a nice Italian-style chicken Pepperoni dish on a budget rather than ordering this out at a restaurant.

It freezes very well and is a good choice for meal planning rotations.

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 oz each)
• 24 pepperoni slices
• 1 heaping cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 heaping cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 6 toothpicks
• 1 jar marinara sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast by butterflying the breast with a sharp knife. Do not cut all the way through.
3. Put 4 pepperonis and some of the mozzarella cheese into the pocket.
4. Close the pocket and secure it with a toothpick. ( I “stitch” the pocket closed as if the toothpick were a sewing pin) Repeat with all chicken breasts. Set aside.
5. Mix egg & milk in a bowl and whisk until combined.
6. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
7. Take each breast and dip it into the egg mixture to coat, then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture. Coat well and transfer to baking dish. (You can repeat this step to make a crisper coating if you desire)
8. Bake for 25-35 minutes uncovered or until golden & internal temp is 165 degrees.
9. Remove from oven and serve with marinara.
10. *Be sure each diner removes the toothpick before eating.

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