Chicken Zucchini Bake with Blistered Tomatoes and Melted Mozzarella

Searing the chicken before it goes in the oven gives it a deep brown crust, and a quick zucchini sauté leaves the rounds semi-translucent at the edges without cooking them through. I make this chicken zucchini bake for bubbling mozzarella and whole cherry tomatoes in one ceramic dish (I like their tops left exposed).

I use a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet, putting the cubes in one layer while the oil shimmers. If your pan's small, sear in batches or the chicken steams and stays pale. Cast iron's still my first choice, though heavy stainless works if the cubes have room.

Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and sauté it for just 2 minutes, until the edges begin to turn semi-translucent while the slices still hold their shape. I use the 9x9-inch white ceramic dish for the bake, and I don't pile the chicken in one corner because the zucchini needs to stay spread through the casserole dish.

Press the whole tomatoes partway into the cheese, leaving their tops exposed to the oven. Fresh parsley goes on after the bake, where the heat wilts it against the mozzarella. I serve this with toasted gluten-free focaccia bread when I want something to catch the tomato juices on the plate, and Mediterranean rice with beans works for a lighter plate.