Cream of Nothing Swiss Chicken
Today was my husband's cheat day for the week. This means he eats whatever he wants--bread, cheese, sweets. You know, indulgent things he is not eating on his current diet. We had a big ole cheeseburger for lunch, so didn't want beef for dinner. Historically, he loves what many people call "Swiss Chicken"--which is chicken baked with Swiss cheese, topped with cream of chicken soup and wine (because the recipe I always used was chicken in wine sauce from Paula Deen), and then crushed herb stuffing with lots of butter. He has been craving this chicken, so I wanted to indulge his culinary desires, but I just could not bring myself to use the soup. I'm not a fan of condensed soups, and while I used to use freely, I am no longer buying them. I did a bit of research and found a delicious looking similar dish on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, but it did not have that necessary crunchy topping, which was a deal breaker. So, I created my own using panko, parmesan, and a much smaller amount of butter, stuck the creation in the oven and said a little prayer. I am here to tell you this is WAY better than my previously adored standby. The crunch is perfect, the flavor is fabulous, and you can have this in the oven in 5 minutes. Giddy up!
Cream of Nothing Swiss Chicken
-adapted from melskitchencafe.com
- 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 lbs)
- 6-8 Swiss cheese slices (about 4-6 ounces)
- 1/2 cup light mayo
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 T. butter, melted
Arrange chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 pan. Top with slices of Swiss cheese. Mix mayo, yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup parmesan in a small bowl. Spread evenly over chicken. Mix panko and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle with melted butter, and bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes, or until top is browned and chicken is cooked.