Pesto Chicken With Roasted Tomatoes


My husband is in Italy for a month before I arrive there myself, so I am home in Florida alone. The temperatures are still in the nineties, so getting motivated to cook for myself is often tricky. When I do cook, I make enough for a couple of meals, allowing me to cook just a few times a week. I will be heading to Italy in just a few weeks, though, and we’ll have family staying with us, so I’ll get to cook for a group soon!

I love chicken, and I prepare it at home often. One of my favorite ways to make it is my Breaded Cutlets With Tomatoes and Arugula. Although I could eat this dish weekly, and often do, there are times when I am in the mood to change things up. I recently bought a jar of pesto from Costco, and I do love their pesto! I spread some on my baked cutlets and then melted on some mozzarella. I roasted up some sweet cherry tomatoes to serve alongside and had a delicious chicken dish for dinner.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele

 Pesto Chicken With Roasted Tomatoes

Pesto Chicken With Roasted Tomatoes

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Tasty crisp, golden chicken cutlets are topped with a zesty pesto sauce and creamy mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Stale Bread Cubes
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Grated Zest and 1 Teaspoon Juice From 1 Lemon
  • 1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Chopped Hot Red Chile Pepper (Optional)
  • 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
  • Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
  • 2 Chicken Breasts, Sliced in Half Lengthwise, About 1 1/2 to 2 Pounds Total Weight, Pounded to 1/2-inch Thickness
  • 7 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Basil Pesto
  • 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

  1. For the cutlets, place the bread cubes, lemon zest, chile pepper, parsley, grated cheese, salt and pepper in the food processor, and pulse until finely blended.
  2. Add the pine nuts and pulse just until the nuts are coarsely chopped and dump mixture into a shallow bowl.
  3. Beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl with the milk.
  4. Working 1 cutlet at a time, dip into the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs pressing down with your fingertips to help the crumbs adhere.
  5. Place the breaded cutlets on a baking sheet, and refrigerate the for 1 hour to allow the crumb coating to set.
  6. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400° F. While the oven preheats, set cutlet tray at room temperature.
  7. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and divide the butter and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil between each.
  8. Place the trays into the oven until the butter is melted, about 5 minutes.
  9. Divide the chicken cutlets between the two trays and bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
  10. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven proof casserole dish with the remaining olive oil.
  11. Season with salt and pepper.
  12. Turn the cutlets over, return to the oven and cook until golden brown on second side, 10 to 12 minutes longer.
  13. When you turn over the cutlets, place the casserole with the tomatoes in the oven.
  14. Remove the cutlets from the oven, and divide the pesto between each cutlet, then smooth over each cutlet.
  15. Cover the pesto with the mozzarella, then return the cutlets to the oven.
  16. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
  17. Serve the cutlets on a platter with the roasted tomatoes alongside.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1143Total Fat: 92gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 59gCholesterol: 224mgSodium: 1223mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 47g

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