Description
This easy pesto chicken bake is the perfect simple supper! It comes together quickly with loads of flavor from fresh pesto and smoked mozzarella.
Ingredients
- FOR THE PESTO SAUCE:
- ¾ cups Fresh Basil
- 1 clove Garlic, Peeled
- ¼ cups Chopped Hazelnuts
- ¼ cups Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
- ¼ cups Olive Oil
- FOR THE CHICKEN:
- ½ cups Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Onion
- 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 pinches Salt
- 2 pinches Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 4 slices Smoked Mozzarella
Preparation
First, make the pesto sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree it all together until it is a thick, chunky sauce. Set it aside. Then marinate the chicken. Stir the buttermilk, dried basil and dried onion together in a bowl. Then submerge the chicken in it and make sure both sides are coated. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 15 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, preheat oven to 375ºF and get out a small baking dish.
Remove the chicken from the marinade when it is done and let all of the excess drip off, then transfer it to the baking dish. Discard the remaining marinade. Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper each, then smother each chicken breast with half of the pesto sauce. Place 2 slices of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast to cover them both almost completely. Bake the chicken for about 30 minutes. Then serve immediately with your favorite sides!
