Chicken with Smoked Mozzarella and Pesto
Pesto and smoked mozzarella make this easy chicken dish extremely satisfying.
Pesto
½ cup fresh basil-leaves
1 Tbsp. pine nuts
1 Tbsp. grated fresh parmesan cheese
½ clove garlic
¼ cup olive oil – approximately
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices smoked mozzarella – ¼ inch slices (about 3 oz )
2 Tbsp. Wine Country Chef Marinade
1 Tbsp. butter (sweet un-salted )
White wheat flour – for dredging
Pesto preparation:
For the pesto, combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic in a food processor and blend until minced. With the machine running, slowly add olive oil, up to ¼ cup to form a paste. Pesto can be made several days ahead.
Chicken preparation:
Make a pocket in each chicken breasts by cutting horizontally into the side. Make each incision about ¾ the length of the breast. Fill the pockets with the pesto and mozzarella and trim any cheese that is not totally enclosed. Recipe can be made to this point 1 day ahead.
Cooking and serving:
Heat Wine Country Chef Marinade and butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off excess. Sauté chicken in Wine Country Chef Marinade and butter for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until cooked through, about 5 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes before serving.