Sizzling Chicken and Cheese (How to make TGI Friday's Copycat!) (2024)

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These EASY marinated chicken breasts served over melted cheese with onions, red & green bell peppers and mashed potatoes come together quicker than you may think! Find out how to make TGI Friday’s copycat recipe the EASY way!

Sizzling chicken and cheese are one of TGI Friday’s tastiest menu picks! You can order the Sizzling chicken and shrimp version as well but we’ll keep it pretty basic here. Making creamy mashed potatoes (that keeps stored cold and heat up so well ahead of time) will save you LOTS of time! And did you know these mashed potatoes freeze well and are so soft you can scoop them cold? It’s one of my favorites because you can freeze, bake or microwave these and have them taste just as fresh.

This sizzling chicken recipe is so easy because the garlic marinate comes straight from a bottle of dressing! Talk about a huge time saver because you don’t need to pull out a bunch of pantry spices to make this! Not only is that a big shortcut but the marinade is on point. I find the wish-bone brand (and no this is not sponsored) one of the zestiest and tangiest Italian dressings out there so purchase that brand to get great tasting results.

A little goes a long way. I only used 1/4 of bell peppers for this whole recipe and if your getting a restaurant serving you will only find a few garnished in your plate so there’s really no need to overload one serving with tons of ingredients. Proportion is key and a little of everything is what makes it delicious.

Sizzling chicken and cheese can be made ahead of time. My mother-in-law made this for a big Sunday lunch gathering with great results! She simply had the mashed potatoes in a crockpot and the chicken prepared ahead of time. She combined the two into a big baking dish and heated it through before serving. This can even be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated. Layer your prepped ingredients straight into a baking dish (with dressing and all) and keep them stored in the fridge. When ready to serve just bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until sizzling hot.

• Garlic Marinade-I used Wishbone Italian dressing. GREAT alternative!
• Chicken breasts-Thinly sliced about 3 regular-sized breasts in half. It makes it just like the restaurant portion.
• Cheese-Monterey jack cheese or mozzarella both work great!
• Red & green bell peppers-You only need 1/4 of each colored pepper.
• Onion-Half of the onion is enough.
• Mashed potatoes-Make my freezer-friendly version that will save you time for future meals!
• Shrimp (can be added for the chicken and shrimp version)

1. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over high heat. Sear the bell peppers and onion in 1 tsp of oil for 3 minutes or until charred-looking. Add 2 TBSP of Italian dressing and stir to coat. Remove and set aside.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides. Add 2 tbsp of oil into the same skillet and sear the chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
3. Pour 1 cup of Italian dressing into the same skillet (still over high heat) and deglaze the pan for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour dressing aside.
4. Lightly grease the pan with 1 1/2 tsp of oil. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese onto the bottom and spread 4 cups of mashed potatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Layer the chicken breasts a top and pour over the dressing. Garnish with bell peppers and onion.
5. Bake at 400° F for 20-30 minutes or until sizzling hot.