Creamy Chicken Asparagus Bake (Printer-friendly)
Tender chicken and asparagus in a rich cream sauce with melted mozzarella and Parmesan, baked until golden.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), cut into bite-size pieces
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 10.5 oz), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Dairy
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4.2 oz)
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1.75 oz)
08 - 2 tbsp butter (about 1 oz)
→ Sauces & Liquids
09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
→ Spices & Seasonings
11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - ½ tsp black pepper
13 - ¼ tsp dried thyme
14 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
→ Other
15 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (about 0.55 oz), or gluten-free flour blend
16 - ½ cup breadcrumbs (about 1 oz), gluten-free or regular, for topping
17 - 1 tbsp olive oil
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a medium baking dish (about 2 quarts) with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until lightly browned but not fully cooked through, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
04 - Sprinkle flour into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, followed by heavy cream and lemon juice. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in dried thyme, ground nutmeg, half of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
06 - Fold the seared chicken pieces and asparagus into the sauce, tossing gently to coat everything evenly.
07 - Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Add a layer of breadcrumbs if desired for extra crunch.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, asparagus is tender, and the top is golden brown and bubbling.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The creamy sauce comes together in one skillet, meaning you get maximum flavor with surprisingly few dishes to wash.
- That golden, bubbling cheese topping will make everyone hover around the kitchen waiting for it to cool.
02 -
- Do not skip the step of browning the chicken first because that fond on the bottom of the skillet is where half the sauce flavor comes from.
- Adding the cheese off the heat prevents it from separating and turning grainy, which I learned after ruining a perfectly good batch early on.
03 -
- Cut all your asparagus pieces to the same length so they cook evenly and look neat when you serve it.
- If you want the cheese topping extra golden, broil for the last two minutes but watch it like a hawk because it goes from perfect to burnt in seconds.