Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass casserole dish with a little olive oil or nonstick spray.
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place them in a single layer in the glass casserole dish. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper evenly over both sides of the chicken.
In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. The mixture will be thick and creamy with little bits of tomato and cheese throughout.
Hold the bowl over the glass casserole dish and slowly pour this one creamy mixture all over the raw chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well coated and there’s sauce pooling around them. Use a spatula to scrape out any remaining sauce and spread it evenly.
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). The sauce should be bubbling and slightly thickened around the edges.
If you’d like the top a bit more golden, you can turn the oven to broil for 2–3 minutes at the very end, watching closely so the sauce doesn’t burn.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let the chicken rest in the sauce for 5 minutes. This helps the juices settle and the sauce thicken a touch more.
Spoon the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce over the chicken breasts when serving, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil if you like. Serve warm with your favorite sides.
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Variations & Tips
For picky eaters, you can chop the sun-dried tomatoes very finely so they blend into the sauce more, or cut the amount in half and add a handful of mild shredded mozzarella to make it extra cheesy and familiar. If your family prefers thinner sauce, stir in a splash of chicken broth with the heavy cream before pouring it over the chicken. To lighten things up, you can use half heavy cream and half whole milk, understanding the sauce will be a bit less rich and slightly thinner. For extra veggies, tuck a layer of baby spinach under and around the chicken breasts before pouring the sauce, or scatter in sliced mushrooms or halved cherry tomatoes. If your crew likes more flavor, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of smoked paprika to the sauce. Leftovers reheat well; slice the chicken and warm it gently on the stove with a spoonful of milk or cream stirred into the sauce to bring it back to life. This same pour-over method also works with chicken thighs—just add 5–10 minutes to the baking time and check for doneness.
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