Name: Copycat Friday's Sizzlin' Chicken & Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (trimmed of fat); 1 1/2 cups zesty Italian dressing; 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic; salt & pepper (to taste); pinch smoked paprika; 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided); 5 slices deluxe style American cheese; 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese; 1 large yellow onion (thinly sliced); 1 large green pepper (seeded and thinly sliced into strips); 1 large red pepper (seeded and thinly sliced into strips); mashed potatoes (for serving)

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Copycat Friday’s sizzlin’ chicken and cheese takes all the flavors of the restaurant’s classic dish and puts them into this easy recipe. Save yourself a trip out to eat and satisfy your cravings right in the comfort of your own home with this cheesy chicken skillet!

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Friday’s is a guilty pleasure for us.

We love it.

Among our favorite dishes to order there is the sizzlin’ chicken and cheese.

It comes out deliciously hot, covered in melted cheese and peppers and onions and you just know it’s gonna be delicious.

Unfortunately, feeding a family of 6 at Friday’s gets pretty pricey so we don’t go there often.

But I can get my cheesy chicken skillet fix anytime at home with this easy copycat recipe for a fraction of the cost!

What is Friday’s Sizzlin’ Chicken and Cheese?

Friday’s classic dish features chicken breasts marinated in garlic and served over a skillet full of melted cheese, onions, bell peppers and mashed potatoes.

It’s flavorful comfort food to the max!

Ingredients

To make this copycat Friday’s recipe you’ll need:

Chicken breasts– Boneless, skinless and trimmed of fat.
Italian dressing– Go for a zesty style Italian dressing or just use your favorite brand.
Garlic– Fresh, minced garlic works better than garlic powder.
Seasonings– Salt and pepper to taste plus a bit of smoked paprika.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil– Don’t substitute another oil.
Cheese– Sliced deluxe style American cheese and shredded Monterrey jack cheese.
Veggies– A sliced yellow onion and seeded and sliced green and red bell peppers.
Mashed potatoes– Either homemade like these Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or these Whipped Boursin Cheese Mashed Red Potatoes. You could also use store bought to save some time.

How to Make

To make this copycat meal, start by marinating the chicken.

Just add the chicken breasts to a tupperware dish and pour the dressing on top of them. Refrigerate them and turn the dish over every 30 minutes.

After the chicken is marinated, add half of the olive oil to a large cast iron skillet set over medium heat.

When the oil’s hot, add the onion and peppers to the skillet, tossing them gently to coat until the peppers have just begun to soften and the onions caramelize.

Then, season the veggies and use a slotted spoon to transfer the onion and peppers to a waiting plate.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same skillet.

Remove the chicken from the dressing with a pair of tongs.

Then, add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet to sear the chicken for about 2 minutes per side until it’s nicely golden brown.

Turn the heat off and using thick pot holders, carefully transfer the skillet to the a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Once the chicken is done, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it aside.

Turn off the oven and set a separate flat cast iron skillet inside of the hot oven to heat.

Once the flat skillet is hot, carefully remove it from the oven and set it on a wooden liner or thick trivet.

Lay half of the sliced cheese down on one side of the skillet, topping with the Monterrey Jack. Then, top with the remaining American cheese.

Spoon the veggie mixture out over the cheese and add the mashed potatoes to the other half of the flat skillet.

Finish by topping the pepper and onion mixture with the cooked chicken.

Then, serve the skillet meal immediately.

Enjoy!

How many servings does this make?

This recipe serves two but you could double it or even triple it if needed!

If serving an actual crowd, or the sons when we’re all together + the significant others, you may want to forgo using a hot cast iron for the final melt. Due to size, you’d have to do this multiple times which just isn’t feasible.

On those occasions, I prefer to use a large baking sheet.

Preheating it just like I would a cast iron skillet, as instructed. It doesn’t retain heat quite as well as cast iron, so I may pop it back into the oven for 1-2 minutes- just to ensure an even melt. I eyeball that bit.

Storing Leftovers

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Tips and Tricks

You can sub shredded mozzarella for Monterrey jack. Likewise, you can sub balsamic dressing for Italian.
If you don’t have a tupperware dish, you can use a large ziplocking bag to marinate the chicken. Just make sure to press excess air out and seal tightly so it doesn’t leak
I like using an ice cream scoop to add my mashed potatoes to the skillet because it makes for a prettier presentation.
Don’t worry about the cheeses melting. The heat from the preheated skillet and the pepper & onion mixture will perfectly melt the entire cheesy layer

Other Restaurant Copycat Recipes You’ll Love

This copycat Friday’s sizzlin’ chicken and cheese is a fantastic way to enjoy restaurant flavor at home. Make it the next time you are craving some Friday’s!

Looking for other copycat recipes from your favorite restaurants? Try these:

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