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!

Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes is an easy, elegant chicken dish for two inspired by French gratins.  It came about from our trying to find another use besides pasta for our basil and pesto abundance.  A gratin is generally anything baked in a shallow dish–often oval–with a crusty, cheese topping.

An abundance of fresh basil in the summer is a wonderful problem to have.  It about makes me crazy to have shrubs of it in the summer, then in winter have to resort to a $2.99 package in the grocery store that contains a paltry sprig, which most likely was picked a week before.

For Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes, you’ll first need to make some pesto.

How to make basil pesto:

• First, 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.
• For basic pesto, combine 2 cups packed fresh leaves, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts, 3 cloves minced garlic and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.
• If you plan to freeze it, omit the garlic and parmesan cheese.  Frozen and thawed pesto won’t be quite the same as fresh, but it’s pretty close.
• The top of the frozen pesto will turn a dark green color.  Simply scrape some off the top to reveal the beautiful bright green pesto underneath.

Roma tomatoes are low in moisture and are used to make tomato sauces and paste so they hold up well in this dish.  The panko, seasoned dry breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese create a crispy contrast to the rest of the dish.

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!

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Yield: 2

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!

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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!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 heaping tablespoons basil pesto, preferably homemade
• 2 ounces goat cheese (about half a 4-ounce log)
• 4 small 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. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Spray a large oval baking dish with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Season inside and out with salt and black pepper.
3. 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.
4. Arrange tomato halves (cut side up) around chicken breasts. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Combine Parmesan cheese, panko, seasoned dry breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl. Scatter evenly over chicken breasts and tomato halves.
6. 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 679Total Fat 43gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 29gCholesterol 130mgSodium 782mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 51g

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.