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Lightly Smothered Chicken

This lightly smothered chicken is drizzled with homemade honey mustard and then covered in onions, peppers, mushrooms, and a little cheese.

Lightly Smothered Chicken in a white casserole dish.

You don’t have to sacrifice flavor when trying to eat lighter and healthier!

This lightly smothered chicken dish is packed with sweet and savory honey mustard, gooey mozzarella cheese, and delicious peppers and onions.

You’d never know it was secretly a  healthy dish!

Full of protein and veggies, this dinner is a perfect meal for families on any night of the week. 

You’ll love how flavorful and low-calorie this lightly smothered chicken is!

Lightly Smothered Chicken on a plate.

Ingredients for lightly smothered chicken

  • Boneless skinless chicken breast tenders – These are super lean and packed with protein for our dish.
  • Veggies – Peppers, onions, and garlic complement our chicken and give us many vitamins!
  • Oregano – Oregano gives us an earthy flavor to our dish.
  • Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard has a more complex flavor than traditional yellow mustard. 
  • Honey – Our healthy sweetness is used in this recipe.
  • Reduced-fat mozzarella cheese – You can have your cheese and eat it too, this reduced-fat version cuts calories but not flavor!
Lightly Smothered Chicken in a casserole dish.

Using reduced-fat cheese

You can easily find reduced-fat cheeses in the dairy/cheese section of your grocery store.

When cutting back on calories, an easy strategy is to start with reduced-fat cheeses.

There are many varieties, like reduced-fat mozzarella (used here), cheddar, provolone, and Colby jack; the grocery store has many options. 

Feel free to use your favorite reduced-fat cheese in this recipe.

How to pre-cook the chicken

There are two easy ways to pre-cook your boneless skinless chicken breast tenders: grill or sauté.

Ensure your grill is hot and ready to grill the boneless, skinless chicken tenders! This will ensure you get those great grill marks, and the chicken won’t stick to the grill.

Lightly season your chicken breast tenders with salt and pepper, and cook for about 4-5 mins per side until the chicken is cooked through and has reached 165 degrees F. 

To sauté the chicken in a pan, set a pan on the stove to medium heat and add two teaspoons of olive oil. 

Season your boneless, skinless chicken tenders lightly with salt and pepper.

Wait for the olive oil to get hot in the pan (2-3 minutes), and add your boneless, skinless chicken tenders.

Cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and has reached 165 degrees F.

Storage and leftovers

This meal is easily stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Heating up leftovers is as easy as putting the meal in a microwave-safe dish, and microwaving for 2-3 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 

Lightly Smothered Chicken served on a plate.

More chicken recipes

This lightly smothered chicken is smothered with honey mustard, onions, peppers, mushrooms and just a little cheese. Perfect for your healthy diet but still packed with delicious flavor!

Lightly Smothered Chicken

Author: Nutmeg Nanny
This lightly smothered chicken is drizzled with homemade honey mustard and then covered in onions, peppers, mushrooms and just a little cheese. Perfect for your healthy diet but still packed with delicious flavor!
4.50 from 22 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast tenders grilled or pan sauteed
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1 green or red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Set a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
  • When the oil is hot add green peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
  • Saute until soft and then add garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir together and set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard and honey.
  • In an 8×8 pan add the prepared grilled chicken and slather chicken evenly with honey dijon mustard mixture.
  • Cover the chicken with the prepared vegetables and sprinkle the top with cheese.
  • Add the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Video

Notes

This recipe is great for using leftover grilled chicken or chicken you have grilled earlier in the day. If you don’t want to grill your chicken simply season it with salt and pepper and cook in a pan before you cook the vegetables.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 424mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword baked chicken, chicken breast recipes, chicken breast tender recipes, chicken recipes, chicken with peppers, dinner recipes, healthy chicken breast recipes, healthy chicken recipes, lightly smothered chicken
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!
Lightly Smothered Chicken pin for Pinterest.
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




Rebecca Flagg

Saturday 6th of May 2023

I just started getting into making casseroles and this one is next on my list to try! Yum, adding the ingredients to my shopping list now!

Sandi

Tuesday 28th of March 2023

I made this for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious, and as my husband says it’s a keeper! Yummy!

Tanikqua

Tuesday 18th of September 2018

It looked and smelled good until I added the Oregano :(

nutmegnanny

Monday 29th of October 2018

If you're not a fan of oregano you can try basil or thyme.

Effie

Thursday 24th of May 2018

Made this for lunch today. Really easy , moist & delicious! Yum!

Abby

Wednesday 25th of April 2018

A whole family hit! The only change I made was using an Italian herb blend instead of just oregano. Served with rice and 2 little boys (ages 2 and 6) are it up. I will certainly be using this recipe again.

nutmegnanny

Monday 30th of April 2018

Hi Abby! Thank you for taking the time to leave me a message. I'm so happy the whole family enjoyed the meal!

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