Wait until you try this! Seriously delicious and so EASY to make.
We are a family who strives to have dinner together every night. I work diligently to feed my little group nutritious meals, but sometimes I get burned out on the cooking. However this dish is uncomplicated, and comes out of the oven beautifully and scrumptious! Hooray!
There is variability in this dish just like any dish! We have used a saline soaked chicken breast every time and it has turned out moist and flavorful, but I’m sure you could use a boneless skinless chicken thigh if you want. If you don’t like tomatoes, just don’t add them, or adding some sundried tomatoes can also be delectable. You can use your own recipe for pesto, or a sun dried tomato pesto would also be amazing. I have found the Pesto from Costco easy and delicious. For the cheese, we have used sliced Havarti which is mild and wonderful, but you could use mozzarella, provolone or try your favorite cheese! Okay now that you know all the ways to play with this dish, I will share how we have made it!
You can serve this along side a side of your favorite rice, quinoa, pasta or vegetable. Tonight we made angel hair pasta and broccoli drizzled with pesto.
Enjoy this easy deliciousness!
Delicious Chicken Pesto Tomato Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Optional Saline Soak for Tenderness
- 1+ cup Pesto
- 2-3 Roma Tomatoes
- 10 Grape Tomatoes Optional
- 6 slices Havarti Cheese Can be Provolone or Mozzarella
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly Shredded
Instructions
- First Step: Soak your Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast in a saline solution also known as a brine. Place your chicken breasts (can be frozen) in a 9×13 pan. Mix 1/4 cup of salt with 4 cups of warm water and pour over the chicken breasts. Cover the dish. If the chicken is frozen, you can let it rest on the counter for an hour, if they are fresh, put the dish in the refrigerator for up to 8-10 hours. We have brined ours for about 3-4 hours, simply depending on what we were doing! Remember this step is optional, but makes the dish amazing. When you are ready to create the dish pour out the brine and rinse the chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit
- Cut your chicken to be about the same size portions for even baking and place into a 9×13 dish. You can use whole uncut chicken breast, just know the baking time will vary on the size of the meat.
- Spoon a generous portion of basil onto each chicken portion, around 1 and 1/2 tablespoons. Spread the basil to form a top layer on the chicken.
- Slice the Roma tomatoes medium thinly and layer then on the basil.
- Slice the grape tomatoes into halves and top the chicken and pesto.
- Place the dish in the oven and let bake for 25 minutes
- Remove the dish from the oven and top with slices of Havarti cheese and the sprinkling of the grated parmesan, then bake for the final 5 minutes.
- Remember ovens vary in temperature and chicken varies in thickness. If your chicken is very thin, check the internal temperature at 20 minutes. Chicken should be 165° 30 minutes for everything including the cheese has turned out perfect for us!
- Serve alongside sauteed green beans, and brown rice. Or top some pasta and broccoli with this deliciousness. Enjoy!
Notes
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