Pesto Chicken and Heirloom Tomatoes (Part 3 of the “Busy Mom Approved” recipe series)
Okay friends, I am going to blast a few recipes out over the next week. There will be very little commentary – not because they are not commentary worthy, but because this momma is full-up with life. These are TOO GOOD to them let slip away into my vault of recipes that never make their way to the light of the blog!
You know these recipes must good, or else there is NO way I would stop and share. Maybe they will help bring a little “slow-down” to your days – so ready or not, here they come!
I bet you are right there with me in the “little time to spare” category, so make a post-it reminder for yourself to follow along with my “Busy Mom Approved” series. These recipes have been a MAJOR hit in our home (both in ease of preparation and in taste) and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to pass them along to you.
This one was certainly a winner – and falls perfectly in line with the recipe series I am in the middle of sharing. Yes, it is both simple and delicious!
You will need a shortlist of ingredients:
- chicken ((uncooked))
- tomatoes
- panko
- parmesan
- pesto ((I have a simple recipe of delicious Toasted Walnut Pesto, but store-bought will work too!))
- salt & pepper
I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but have also used chicken breast — just use your favorite! Lightly season with s & p.
Spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto over each piece of chicken.
Let’s pause and take a second to appreciate just how beautiful these heirloom tomatoes are! They are probably my last tomato harvest of the season (I am already making plans for next year’s garden!). Aren’t these purple and green tomatoes gorgeous?? And the red centered green tomatoes – what a pop of unexpected color in the heart of those giant green tomatoes?!
Place sliced tomatoes or handfuls of cherry tomatoes over the pesto.
Top with parmesan ((add mozzarella or swiss if you want)) and panko and place into a preheated 350° oven.
Serve with a salad & bread – or as I often do: all by it’s self!
Super easy and so very tasty – another successful recipe, definitely “Busy Mom Approved”!
- 6 - 8 boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 6 - 8 heaping tablespoons of pesto
- 2 large tomatoes thickly sliced
- 6 - 8 slices of parmesan cheese
- 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken in a 9" x 13" baking dish and lightly season both sides of each piece. Top chicken with one heaping tablespoon of pesto (a tablespoon per chicken breast, etc), a tomato slice and sprinkle with panko. Top with cheese, a few dashes of salt and pepper and bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken, until chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are medium golden and crispy.
- Serve with salad and bread or by itself.
- Serves 6-8