Chicken With Cheese Sauce (Printable)
Seared chicken breasts topped with a rich cheddar-Parmesan sauce; comforting and ready in about 40 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Cheese Sauce
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry, and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
03 - Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside, and cover to keep warm.
04 - In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add flour and whisk for one minute to form a roux.
05 - Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Reduce the heat to low. Stir in cheddar cheese, Parmesan, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is silky. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
07 - Spoon the hot cheese sauce generously over the cooked chicken breasts. Serve immediately.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- This cheese sauce is sneakily simple but makes everyone at the table feel a little spoiled.
- It’s endlessly adaptable, and forgiving if you want to swap cheeses or toss extra veggies on the side.
02 -
- I once tried to rush the cheese into the sauce and ended up with an oily, stringy mess—always melt the cheese slowly over low heat.
- Letting the chicken rest, even for a couple minutes, makes it juicier and tastier under that blanket of cheese.
03 -
- Resting chicken on a warm plate keeps juices from running and drying out the meat.
- Adding a pinch of mustard powder (even instead of Dijon) brings out the cheeses’ sharpness in the sauce.