Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 – 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness)
- Salt and pepper: to taste
- Breadcrumbs: 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- Panko breadcrumbs: 1/2 cup
- Parmesan Cheese: 1/4 cup grated
- Egg: 1 large, lightly beaten
- Olive oil: 1-2 tablespoons
- Pesto: 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade
- Marinara sauce: 1 cup
- Mozzarella cheese: 8 oz, sliced
Equipment:
- Baking dish (9×13 inch)
- Shallow bowls or pie plates for breading
- Meat mallet (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease your baking dish lightly.
Prepare the chicken:
- If chicken breasts are not an even thickness, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them gently until uniform.
- Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
Set up breading station:
- In one shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs (Italian and Panko) and Parmesan cheese.
- In a second shallow bowl, place the beaten egg.
Bread the chicken:
- Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, coating completely.
- Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly to help the coating adhere.
Brown the chicken (optional, but recommended):
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes per side, just until golden brown. This step helps create a crispy crust, but you can skip it if you’re short on time.
Assemble:
- Place chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish.
- Spread a generous layer of pesto over each chicken breast.
- Top the pesto layer with marinara sauce.
- Arrange mozzarella cheese slices over the sauce.
Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C) and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve: Serve immediately with your favorite pasta, salad, or roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Tips:
- Homemade pesto: If you have time, homemade pesto adds amazing flavor! Check online for easy recipes.
- Breadth of chicken: Pounding the chicken to uniform thickness promotes even cooking.
- Cheese variation: Experiment with other cheeses like provolone or fontina!
