Chicken Picasso

When I stumbled upon this recipe I knew instantly I needed to make it. The cast of characters are everything I like in this world. Chicken? Bell peppers? Cheese?! C'mon. I love chicken cacciatore and this reminded me of it, only with cheese, so I figured it was a must-make. Totally delicious. John and I were huge fans. The leftovers reheated beautifully. I made half of the recipe below and had enough for us for dinner and lunch fro John the following day. 

Source: Slightly adapted from So Tasty So Yummy

Ingredients:

3 bell peppers
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup light cream
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 pound linguine, or pasta of your choice

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Seed the bell peppers and cut them into rings. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2- In a large oven safe Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a plate. 

3- Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Arrange the onions over the chicken. Add the bell peppers to the pan and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. 

4-Arrange the peppers over the chicken and onions. Add the garlic to the sauté pan and cook for 30 seconds.
5- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping any browned bits on the bottom. Pour the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and cream into the sauté pan with the garlic and broth; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. 

6- Nestle the chicken into the sauce and put the bell peppers and onions over top. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. 

7- Remove the chicken from oven and uncover. Sprinkle with cheese and return chicken to oven, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta.