Smothered Italian Chicken with Buttered Garlic Spaghetti
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 quart chunky basil marinara sauce {use my homemade version, or store bought}
1 T. onion flakes
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. Italian seasoning
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. spaghetti noodles
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and lay in thawed chicken breasts.
3. Generously coat the chicken with the onion flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
4. Pour in the marinara sauce.
5. Bake covered with foil in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes, spooning some of the marinara over the chicken.
6. While the chicken is finishing cooking, cook spaghetti noodles, drain, set aside and keep warm.
7. In a small saucepan melt the butter, along with the diced garlic. Let the melted butter simmer on LOW, allowing the garlic to flavor the butter.
8. Remove the butter from the heat and strain out the garlic pieces {keep in fairly big chunks so it is easier to pick out}.
9. Pour the melted garlic butter over the spaghetti and toss to coat.
10. When chicken is cooked, top each breast with handful of mozzarella cheese. Place the oven to broil and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until bubbly.
11. Serve the smothered chicken with the buttered garlic spaghetti.
