Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes

Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes is easy, elegant and a delicious way to use some of your summer basil pesto and tomatoes.  This makes an impressive date night dinner that looks like you fussed!

The inspiration behind this recipe:

An abundance of fresh basil in the summer is a wonderful problem to have so we always try to make the most of it!

Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes is an easy, elegant chicken dish for two that came about from trying to find another use besides pasta for our basil abundance which we often just turned into pesto. 

It’s inspired by French gratins which are generally anything baked in a shallow dish–often oval–with a crusty, cheese topping like this dish.

First, however, we need to make some pesto!

Tips for making basil pesto:

• You can definitely use prepared pesto for this dish, but what you make now during the summer with fresh basil is going to be far superior to anything you can buy.
• Here’s all you need to make a basic basil pesto:
  • Fresh basil
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Pine nuts
  • Garlic
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

• After picking the basil from your garden, you’ll want to immerse the basil (stems and all) in a sink full of cool water.  Dirt will fall to the bottom and insects will detach themselves.
• Remove the leaves, then repeat the immersion process to remove every last impurity.
• Place the leaves in a salad spinner to remove as much excess water as possible.
• Then, spread out on a large kitchen or bath towel to dry some more for an hour or so.
• Combine everything in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Voila!  Amazing fresh basil pesto!

How to make Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes:

• Carefully butterfly two boneless skinless chicken breast halves being careful to not cut all the way through.

• Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, then place a heaping tablespoon of pesto on the chicken then top with approximately 1-ounce of goat cheese.

• Close the chicken breasts then secure with toothpicks and place in a baking dish.  Place halved Roma tomatoes around the chicken.  Roma tomatoes are low in moisture and are used to make tomato sauces and paste so they hold up well in this dish.

• Make the crispy, cheesy topping by combining the following:
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Seasoned dry breadcrumbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Olive oil (extra-virgin or any other)

• Scatter it over the top of the chicken and tomatoes.
• Bake…

That’s it!

Cheesy deliciousness with basil pesto, summer tomatoes, a crispy, crunchy topping

Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes for a lovely summery chicken dish you’ll be proud to serve your loved one!  This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for a family dinner or casual get-together with friends!  Best of all, you can make it ahead of time!

This is now a favorite of ours and it’s the perfect late summer supper for two.  A piece of good, crusty bread is nice to mop up the flavorful juices at the bottom of the baking dish.

Enjoy!

More easy, elegant chicken recipes you’re sure to love!

• Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
• Walnut-Crusted Chicken with Pomegranate Sauce
• Grilled Citrus Chicken with Spicy Basil Chimichurri
• Chicken Scallopini with Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille
• Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil
• Chicken Marrakesh with Jeweled Couscous

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Yield: 2

Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes

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Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes is easy, elegant and a delicious way to use some of your summer basil pesto and tomatoes.  This makes an impressive date night dinner that looks like you fussed!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• PESTO
• 2-3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted if desired
• 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• CHICKEN
• Cooking spray or olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 heaping tablespoons basil pesto
• 2 ounces goat cheese (about half a 4-ounce log)
• 3 plum tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons panko
• 2 tablespoons seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Basil sprigs for garnish

Instructions

1. PESTO: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
2. CHICKEN: Preheat oven 375 degrees. Spray a large oval baking dish with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
3. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Season inside and out with salt and black pepper.
4. Place equal amounts of the pesto, followed by the goat cheese in each chicken breast. Secure with toothpicks and place in the prepared baking dish.
5. Arrange tomato halves (cut side up) around chicken breasts. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Combine Parmesan cheese, panko, seasoned dry breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl. Scatter evenly over chicken breasts and tomato halves.
7. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until cooked through to 165 degrees in the center of the filling and topping is lightly browned and crusty. Remove toothpicks prior to serving.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: Stuff the chicken up to 12 hours ahead of time; refrigerate. When ready to bake, mix together the breadcrumb mixture and cut tomatoes. Arrange, top and bake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 756Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 808mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 61g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

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