- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total time
- 65 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Quick summary
“Chicken breast cubes sautéed with bell pepper, tomato, and homemade seasonings, covered by a velvety cream of green corn with requeijão and grated mozzarella cheese. A classic of comforting family cuisine.”
What you need to know
- Browning the chicken breast cubes before the stir-fry seals the meat and preserves moisture in subsequent cooking.
- Blending canned corn with heavy cream creates the velvety base without lumps that surrounds the pieces of meat.
- The addition of culinary requeijão provides a stable body that gratinates under the mozzarella in the hot oven.
Ingredients
Main
- kg Chicken breast fillet
- tablespoons Olive oil
- unit Cebola média
- units Garlic cloves
- unit Small green bell pepper
- unit Ripe tomato
- taste Salt
- taste Black pepper
- cup Chopped green seasoning (parsley and chives)
- cup Water or chicken broth
- lata Milho verde
- lata Heavy cream
- g Good quality creamy cream cheese
- g Shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Principal
- In a large pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken cubes and brown them on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and sauté until transparent. Then, add the minced garlic and bell pepper, sautéing for another 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomato and cook for about 5 minutes, mashing it slightly with a spoon. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- While the chicken cooks, blend the drained green corn with the heavy cream in the blender until you get a homogeneous and smooth mixture.
- Pour the blended creamed corn over the chicken in the pan. Add the cream cheese and mix gently until everything is well incorporated. Heat over low heat for a few minutes, without letting it boil vigorously.
- Transfer the creamy chicken to a baking dish. Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and lightly browns. Serve immediately.
Chef's tips
- Drain all the water from the canned corn before blending with the heavy cream in the blender.
- Pass the whipped cream through a medium-mesh sieve if you prefer an extremely smooth sauce without bits.
- Finish in the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes until the mozzarella is bubbly and has golden spots.
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup of pitted green olives chopped to the sauteed chicken for a salty touch.
- Mix a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg into the blended creamed corn to deepen the aromas.
- Sprinkle thin potato sticks over the layer of gratin cheese right at the moment of serving at the table.
Substitutions
- The creamy requeijão can be replaced by authentic Catupiry-style cheese or fresh ricotta cream.
- Green bell pepper can be replaced by yellow or red bell pepper for a sweeter palate.
- Shredded mozzarella can be swapped for shredded prato cheese or aged minas padrão cheese.
How to store
Store in a covered glass dish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat while maintaining creaminess, place in the oven at 180°C covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.
Can it be frozen?
Freeze in individual portions in airtight containers for up to 60 days. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator the day before and heat in a medium oven until the corn sauce bubbles.
What to serve with
Combines perfectly with loose white rice, homemade crispy potato sticks, and curly lettuce salad with tomato.
Frequently asked questions
How to prevent the cheese from burning before the center heats up in the oven?
Make sure the chicken and cream mixture is very hot when transferred to the baking dish, needing only to gratin the mozzarella quickly in the high part of the oven.
Can I use boiled corn on the cob instead of canned corn?
Yes, cut the grains from 2 ears of steamed corn; the flavor is even fresher and more natural than in the version with canned corn.
Can the chicken be shredded instead of cut into cubes?
Yes, cook the breasts and shred into thick strips; this variation absorbs the corn cream even more homogeneously.
Why did the creamed corn get a little thin in the pan?
If the corn has too much water or the chicken releases excess liquid, the sauce will thin out. Let the sauce thicken over low heat for 5 minutes with the pan uncovered before covering with the mozzarella.
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