Baked Caprese Chicken
Say hello to this super delish & HEALTHY recipe y’all!! Just in time to help you with your New Year’s resolutions/goals. I’m a firm believer in everything in moderation (mainly because I have a HUGE sweet tooth lol) so in order for me to trick myself into eating healthier recipes, they have to have MAJOR FLAVOR!! 💁🏼♀️
Speaking of resolutions & goals -- so I tend to be more goal-oriented. This is the first year I’ve ordered a PowerSheets Goal Planner from Cultivate What Matters. I’ve had some friends RAVE about how life-changing this simple practice is -- basically you sit down, write down your goals, and check-in with your intentionality and progress (not perfection) every three months. Think of a roadmap mentality! Full disclosure I waited to order it until it went on sale (last week lol) because it’s a little pricey but I am SO EXCITED to dive in & really dig into the PowerSheets once the planner gets here! Definitely my Enneagram 3 shining through. ;) I’ll keep y’all posted on what I think about the planner! 🤗
Okay, back to this delicious Baked Caprese Chicken! :) Minus the olive oil, salt & pepper, this recipe only requires FOUR ingredients! Yep, you heard that right -- chicken breasts, fresh pesto (found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store), tomatoes, and shredded mozzarella cheese!
Most of you probably know what a Caprese salad is, but just in case you don’t it’s a super fresh Italian salad that consists of layering sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves drizzled with olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Be sure to check out my recipe for Peach Caprese Salad!
This recipe is PERFECT if you’re needing to feed a lot of people -- it’s BEYOND easy to assemble and will be a major crowd pleaser! I would suggest serving it with a light salad and a loaf of sliced french bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar for dipping. Enjoy y’all!
Baked Caprese Chicken
Yields 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30-50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts
4 ounces of prepared pesto, found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store
2 medium tomatoes on the vine, 8 slices total
8-12 ounces shredded mozzarella
Optional garnishes
Balsamic vinegar
Freshly chopped basil
NOTES
It’s super important to try and find the prepared pesto found in the refrigerated section! You can use the jarred pesto, it just won’t have as much flavor.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
Brush the chicken with olive oil.
Lightly sprinkle the chicken breasts with kosher salt & ground black pepper. Place them in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Brush 1 tablespoon of pesto on top of each chicken breast.
Place 2 tomato slices on top of each chicken breast.
Sprinkle about ⅓ cup of shredded mozzarella on top of each (make sure the tomatoes are almost completely covered in cheese).
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If it is 165 degrees it’s done! Cover with foil & let rest for 10 minutes.
If not, cover the baking dish with foil (to prevent the cheese from browning too much) and continue to bake in the oven. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts you may have to cook for an additional 10-20 minutes.
Let rest for 10 minutes and serve immediately.