White Cheddar Chicken and Zucchini Skillet

Chicken breasts, zucchini, and white cheddar cheese come together in just one skillet to make this simple and healthy White Cheddar Chicken and Zucchini Skillet.

Skillet meals are one of my very favorite ways to showcase whole, fresh, and healthy ingredients.  We often will pull together chicken based skilled meals using whatever veggies are in the fridge that need to be used up.

Check out my Cast Iron Skillet Chicken and Summer Vegetables to see some of the combinations I've put together in the past!  Simple deliciousness, I tell you.

What makes this recipe a little different is the cheese.  Oh, yeah.  I love me some cheese.  Especially white cheddar!  I dare say white cheddar is my favorite cheese. It's sharpness is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet nuttiness of the squash in this dish.

And then there's a little sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs for a bit texture.  Don't sub regular breadcrumbs!  They won't give you the same crunch as panko, trust me on this one.  Panko is heartier, crunchier, and perfect for topping this chicken.

This meal comes together so quickly and you will feel great about the simple healthy ingredients!  Golden cheesy chicken, garden fresh squash and zucchini, and sharp white cheddar cheese...it doesn't get better than that!

White Cheddar Chicken and Zucchini Skillet

   

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, split
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into strips (each breast should make around 4 strips).  Season the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
2. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the zucchini, squash, and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the squash and zucchini are tender-crisp.
4. Place the chicken over the squash and zucchini and top with the cheddar cheese.  Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are golden.

Notes

• Source: This one's mine!