Baked meals turn the oven into the busy cook’s best friend. Once you hand off your dinner to the oven, you get extra time to prep any extra dishes, get a headstart on cleaning, or simply savor a moment of calm before the feast.
These two recipes will make you love your oven more. First, a creamy chicken alfredo pasta with a baked golden brown topping. Second, a classic lechon belly roll that’s simpler than you think.
Both dishes let your oven handle the hard part without constant babysitting, and Maggi takes these dishes from good to great with a bold punch of flavor.
Tonight's menu: baked chicken alfredo pasta and roasted lechon pork belly. Thank your oven and Maggi's magical seasonings!
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.
Prepare topping: Combine breadcrumbs, oregano, and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cook chicken: Pat chicken breast fillets dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or braising dish over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken breasts and cook undisturbed until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip to cook the second side, about 4 minutes.
To check if the chicken is cooked, use a paring knife to make a small cut at the center of the chicken breast—the liquid should run clear. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to rest.
Cook aromatics and mushrooms: Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, add minced onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until they soften.
Make roux: Move aromatics and mushrooms to the side. Add butter to the center of the pan. Once melted, sprinkle flour over the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is pale golden and raw flour smell has cooked out, about 2–3 minutes.
Make sauce: Pour in milk and cream, stirring to create a smooth sauce. Add mozzarella and Parmesan, mixing until the cheeses melt and incorporate. Crumble Maggi chicken cube into the sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
Add chicken to sauce: Slice cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Stir chicken pieces into the alfredo sauce until well combined. Transfer ⅓ of the chicken alfredo sauce into a separate bowl. This sauce will be used for layering the pasta bake.
Add pasta to sauce: Add cooked spaghetti sauce to the remaining chicken alfredo sauce in the pan. Stir and turn until noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.
Assemble pasta bake: Transfer chicken alfredo pasta to a 9x12-inch baking dish. Pour chicken alfredo sauce over the pasta and spread to form an even layer. Generously sprinkle breadcrumb topping over the sauce until evenly covered.
Bake and serve: Bake pasta in oven until the topping is toasty and golden brown, about 5–10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Dry pork belly: Pat pork belly dry with paper towels. To thoroughly dry it out, place pork belly skin-side up on a tray and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.
Season pork belly: Lay pork belly skin-side down on a chopping board or clean work surface. Using a sharp knife, score the pork belly by making shallow diagonal cuts across the meat. Turn pork 90 degrees and repeat, creating a diamond pattern of cuts.
Combine minced garlic, Maggi Magic Sarap, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle and massage the mixture into the nooks and crannies of the scored pork belly.
Arrange aromatics: Set the pork belly crosswise, with the long side of the belly facing you. Cover meat with a layer of sliced red onions.
Slice lemongrass and green onions to match the length of the pork belly’s short side. Place lemongrass and green onions on top of the red onions, at the center of the pork.
Tie pork belly roll: Cut about 4 strands of twine 4 inches longer than your pork belly. Carefully slip each strand of cooking twine under the pork belly, making sure to evenly space the strands out. The top and bottom strands should be 1 inch away from the edge of the pork belly.
Bring the left and right edges of the pork belly to the center, forming a roll with the aromatics tightly secured inside. Tie the strands of cooking twine together to secure the roll.
Brush and bake: Transfer pork belly roll seam-side down, skin-side up to a sheet tray fitted with a rack. Brush the outside of the pork belly roll with soy sauce. Bake until the skin is dry and soy sauce glaze is a bit tacky, 1 hour. Increase the heat to 400°F / 200°C and continue baking until skin is golden brown and crispy, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes.
Serve: Slice lechon belly into 1-inch thick slices. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with lechon sauce or spicy vinegar for dipping.
