What a great combination! Lately I've gotten into the habit of roasting a half dozen or so boneless skinless chicken breasts rubbed with pesto, and using them in an assortment of dishes throughout the week. One such example is the "Italian Sandwich", which is a baguette or bun, topped with tomato sauce, chicken with pesto and a small amount of grated cheese. The sandwich is named as such more for the colour of the three toppings (red, green and white) then for the flavours themselves (any opportunity to teach a lesson!). This is a popular lunch-box meal in our home and even tastier when placed under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the bread and melt the cheese. My little chefs are able to put this meal together with very little guidance, and they feel so proud of themselves for making something that tastes so yummy. One side note - I wouldn't let them prepare the actual chicken with pesto as they're too young to learn about the proper handling of raw chicken.
Other possible uses for the baked chicken are as follows: Served over salad, mixed with pasta and veggies for a quick dinner, wrapped up in a whole wheat pita with avocado, salsa and Monterrey Jack cheese for a quick and easy chicken taco, or even on top of pizza dough for a nice protein addition to an otherwise carb-dense meal. Please feel free to let me know if you have other ways of using chicken with pesto in your family meals...I look forward to reading your suggestions!
Roasted Chicken with Pesto
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of pesto
~ Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper
~ Place chicken breasts and pesto in large bowl. Toss together in a mixing bowl and place chicken breasts on the baking sheets
~ Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and cook for 25 minutes or until breasts are no longer pink inside and when pierced the juices run clear
"Italian Sandwiches", my recipe
1/2 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise
2 chicken pesto breasts, sliced
1/2 cup tomato or pizza sauce
1/4 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
~ Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper
~ Place the baguette on the baking sheet and top each piece with half of the sauce, chicken breast and cheese
~ Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until bread is crispy and the cheese has melted
~ Serve with a side salad or platter of veggies and dip for a delicious lunch
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