Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake

I love pesto. So I was really excited to try this recipe out. I can’t even describe how this basil pesto added such amazing flavor to this chicken. I feel like this is something I would have ordered at a nice restaurant but was able to make it at home. This was absolutely fantastic! It will definitely not disappoint.

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 3 stars
Review: This was my first time making pesto and it turned out fantastic! The chicken was perfect and moist and had tons of flavor. I will definitely make this again!

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Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake

By: Alyssa Rivers

I feel like this is something I would have ordered at a nice restaurant but was able to make it at home. This was absolutely fantastic! It will definitely not disappoint.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 4 tablespoons basil pesto, *see recipe below
• ▢ 4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ▢ 6 tablespoons reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ▢ 2 teaspoons parmesan cheese, grated

Basil Pesto:

• ▢ 1 cup fresh basil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• ▢ 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To a food processor, add the basil, garlic, parmesan, and salt and pepper, and pulse, slowly adding the olive oil until you have a smooth pesto. Set aside.
• Slice the chicken breast horizontally to create four thinner cutlets, pat dry with paper towels, and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Lay chicken on the foil, and spread 1 tablespoon of basil pesto on each chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the chicken temps out to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove from oven and top with tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Remove from the oven and serve fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 32gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 426mgPotassium: 453mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 650IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 216mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!