Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake

I was looking for a new way to enjoy the flavors of pizza without all the carbs. Yeah, the tomatoes have carbs, but they are far better for you than all the bread… oh bread, how I love thee. I wanted it to be filling and since I was craving chicken it seemed like a no brainer! A friend in Colorado sent me a recipe similar to this one, I tweaked it a bit and this is what happened. Pepperoni Pizza Chicken… without the crust, have I mentioned my love for crust? Oh, I thought I had.

You need:

6- Boneless Chicken Breasts

1- 24oz can crushed tomatoes (with or without Basil, Garlic and Oregano)

1- 12oz can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

1- tablespoon fresh diced garlic, minced

1- shallot (med sized) diced small

4-fresh basil leaves ( minced small)

3 to 4- tsps Complete Seasoning ( any brand)

4 tablespoons olive oil ( for browning the breasts)

12- small slices fresh mozzarella cheese

3- cups shredded mozzarella ( divided)

Pepperoni ( as much as you want)

Black Olives ( as many as you want, and optional)

Fresh Basil for garnish

To a large bowl, add all of the tomatoes and combine well. Add the shallots, garlic, basil and Italian seasoning. Stir.

Divide the sauce into two glass, oven dishes making sure to save about 1 1/2 cups and set aside.

Season chicken with Complete season and heat olive oil on med high heat. Add the chicken and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side, until golden brown. ( Chicken will not be done yet)

Nestle the chicken into the sauce and top with remaining sauce… just lightly coat each piece.

Top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of the fresh mozzarella and cover each dish with the shredded cheese. The begin adding all the pepperoni you want. That’s a matter of taste!