Chicken Pesto

Post date: May 4, 2015 8:02:32 PM

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3/4 cup cup basil pesto (recipe below)

3/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded -- you can substitute with mozzarella cheese

3-4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees or you can also cook this on the grill.

Line baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Spray with oil.

Place chicken in medium bowl.

Add pesto and toss until chicken is well coated.

Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Remove from oven; top with tomatoes and Swiss cheese.

Switch to the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with rice or gluten free pasta.

Pesto Recipe:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and blend until coarsely chopped.

Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and process until fully blended and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you're serving it right away, then add all the remaining oil and blend until smooth. Pour the pesto into a large bowl and stire in the cheese.

If you intend to store pesto for a few days, or if you want to freeze it, then put it into an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top.

If refrigerating, then add cheese before serving.

You can freeze pesto for up to 3 months. Just thaw it out, mix in cheese, and serve.