Baked Chicken Caprese Food

THE BEST CHICKEN CAPRESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted into the olive oil, add the chicken breasts to the pan, being careful not to crowd. Cook on each side until lightly browned and easily release from the pan, about 3-4 minutes each.
• Slather the tops of each chicken breast with the basil pesto, about 1-2 tablespoons per chicken breast. Top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella and a few slices of tomato. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Pour 1/4 cup dressing into a small bowl.
• Arrange chicken breasts evenly in the center of a grill pan. Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with dressing; season with salt and pepper.
• Pour remaining 1/4 cup dressing into a mixing bowl. Add tomatoes and basil. Toss to coat evenly with the dressing.
• Spread the tomato mixture evenly around chicken in a single layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and top chicken with fresh mozzarella; return pan to oven.
• Continue baking until mozzarella cheese is golden brown and bubbly and chicken is fully cooked, about 10 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the chicken to a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a small bowl whisk the balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Pour over the chicken and add cherry tomatoes to the side of the chicken. Place the tomato slices on the top.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or internal temperature is 165 degrees. Add cheese for the last 5 minutes to melt.
• Garnish with fresh chopped basil if desired.

ROASTED CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Add Lemon Vinaigrette, seal and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut each tomato into quarters lengthwise. Place in a medium bowl and toss gently with sugar, salt and olive oil. Spoon tomato mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet so that tomato pieces don't touch. Roast for 30 minutes. Spoon tomatoes and all accumulated juices into a small bowl. Add cheese, basil leaves and pepper, tossing gently. Let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Remove chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken on same cookie sheet used to roast tomatoes. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once, or until fully cooked through.
• To serve, place 1 chicken breast half on each heated dinner plate. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture over top.
• Whisk all ingredients, except oil, together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify.

SHEET PAN CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and use your fingers to evenly spread it out and coat the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Scatter the cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet and shake it back and forth so they become evenly coated in the oil and seasoning. Arrange the chicken in the center of the baking sheet, pushing the tomatoes out to the perimeter, and drizzle the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
• Bake until the tomatoes are soft, blistered and begin to burst, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the vinegar has reduced by half and is thick enough to coat back of the spoon, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drape a slice of mozzarella over each chicken breast. Bake until the cheese melts and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast has reached 160 degrees F, 5 to 7 minutes (the chicken will carryover cook to 165 F).
• Sprinkle the chicken and tomatoes with the basil and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Spoon the collected pan juices over the tomatoes and chicken. Serve on a bed of arugula and with crusty bread to mop up the pan juices.

CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir garlic into hot oil and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add spinach and toss with hot oil and garlic; cover and remove from heat. Set spinach mixture aside to wilt spinach.
• Heat 3 more tablespoons olive oil in an oven-safe skillet. Cook chicken breasts in hot oil until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Season with salt. Layer 1/4 of the wilted spinach, tomato slices, and mozzarella slices on top of each breast. Season with ground black pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese has browned and chicken is no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, basil and oregano; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using your fingers or a brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken. Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat. Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Top each chicken with mozzarella cheese. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted completely. Serve immediately, topped with tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic reduction and garnished with basil, if desired.

BAKED CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• Lightly grease a 9×13" casserole dish and turn the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin, smooth meat mallet or small frying pan to pound the thick end of the chicken breasts so that they are close to uniform in size (this will ensure all the chicken is cooked at the same time).
• Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the baking dish.
• Whisk together balsamic vinegar, oil, pesto, honey, corn starch, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Place tomatoes in the baking dish around the chicken.
• Drizzle balsamic mixture over chicken and tomatoes.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-23 minutes (the exact time will depend on the exact thickness of your chicken breasts), until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
• Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, just until melted.
• Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and serve.

CAPRESE HASSELBACK CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Use paring knife to cut 6 crosswise slits into top of each chicken breast, being careful to not cut all the way through to bottom of chicken. Place, cut sides up, in 10x7-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Stack mozzarella slices; cut in half, then cut each half into 6 pieces. Cut tomato into 12 thin slices, then cut each slice in half. Fill each slit in chicken breasts with 2 cheese pieces and 1 tomato piece.
• Mix aioli and pesto sauce until blended; brush onto chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake 18 to 20 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Sprinkle with basil.

CAPRESE CHICKEN SKILLET

Steps:

• Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner pieces
• Pound chicken with a meat tenderizer until it lays flat, but not too thin
• Mince garlic
• Combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil in a small mixing bowl
• Season all chicken pieces on both sides with seasoning mixture
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large oven safe pan - I use a cast iron skillet
• Once oil is hot carefully place chicken in the pan
• Cook for 2 minutes on each side
• Remove chicken from pan and reduce the heat to low
• Allow the pan to cool slightly so you don't burn your garlic
• Add minced garlic to the pan and saute for a minute moving constantly so that the garlic doesn't burn
• Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and stir - the balsamic will bubble up so be careful
• Add the tomatoes to the pan and increase the heat to medium
• Saute for 2-3 minutes
• Turn the heat off the stove and add the chicken back to the pan and toss to coat in the balsamic sauce
• Top the tomatoes and chicken with mozzarella - I used mini mozzarella balls
• Place in the oven to bake at 350F for 10 minutes
• Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and enjoy!

CAPRESE CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the panko and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape into a bowl to cool, then stir in 1/3 cup parmesan and set aside.
• Wipe out the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes; remove to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until blistered, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add 1½ cups of the reserved cooking water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 3 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the skillet and cook through, about 2 more minutes.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding some of the remaining pasta water if needed. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup parmesan. Add the mozzarella and basil, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Sprinkle with the panko mixture just before serving.

CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• Set aside 1 teaspoon of fresh basil and keep separate from other ingredients for later use. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Remove 2 teaspoons of marinate for future use in separate bowl.
• Place chicken in vinegar marinade, cover and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Turn cook top to medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil to bottom of saute pan and brown chicken on each side (approximately 4 minutes)
• While chicken is browning, cover an oven proof pan with aluminum foil and lightly cover in cooking spray.
• Once chicken is browned on both sides, remove from saute pan and place on oven proof pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes
• Approximately 5 minutes before chicken is done, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella thinly.
• Once chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and first place slices of mozzarella, then place tomato slices on top of the cheese and sprinkle withe fresh basil that was previously set aside.
• Return chicken to oven, set to broil and cook for 3 minutes.
• Remove chicken from oven, and with reserved marinate that was set aside earlier, drizzle lightly over each chicken breast and serve.

BAKED CAPRESE GNOCCHI

Steps:

• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pan then fry the onion until soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes.
• Allow the tomatoes to cook until they start to break down then add the passata, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Turn the heat down and allow to gently simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add a splash of water if you see the sauce cooking down too much.
• When the sauce is cooked, adjust the seasoning and add the fresh basil.
• Pre-heat the oven (with grill setting) to 220°c.
• Combine the cooked gnocchi with the sauce then add cubes of mozzarella.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted.
• Remove and top with fresh basil before serving.

BAKED CHICKEN CAPRESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

BAKED CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• Make the balsamic reduction: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup balsamic vinegar and the honey. Heat on medium-high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Let this simmer and until reduced by about half (5 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. When it coats the back of a spoon it's done.
• Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, then halve each breast. Season chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• Turn heat down to medium and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Toss in tomatoes and season with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet. Place a slice of cheese on top of each chicken piece. Cover the skillet and turn heat off. Allow cheese to melt for about 2 minutes.
• Remove cover, scoop some of the tomato mixture on top of the breasts, then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the tops. Generously sprinkle basil over the top of everything. Serve warm.

BAKED CHICKEN CAPRESE

Steps:

• For the cutlets, place the bread cubes, lemon zest, chile pepper, parsley, grated cheese, salt and pepper in the food processor, and pulse until finely blended.
• Add the pine nuts and pulse just until the nuts are coarsely chopped and dump mixture into a shallow bowl.
• Beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl.
• Working 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip into the eggs, and then breadcrumbs pressing down with your fingertips to help the crumbs adhere.
• Place the breaded cutlets on a baking sheet, and refrigerate the for 1 hour to allow the crumb coating to set.
• In a small bowl, mix together the tomato topping ingredients and set aside until needed.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil, then place the butter and oil on top.
• Place the pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt the butter.
• Turn the pan to coat evenly with the butter mixture, then place the chicken on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then turn and bake another 10 minutes until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and place the mozzarella on top to cover.
• Turn the oven broiler to high, then return the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Place the chicken onto a platter, then drizzle with the pesto sauce and spoon the tomato mixture on top.
• Serve immediately.

BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large ziploc bag, combine chicken breasts with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Press air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the seasoning around the chicken to coat. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes, up to overnight in the fridge. You can also marinate in a large. mixing bowl and cover with plastic cling wrap.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Arrange marinated chicken in a 8-inch square baking pan. Add tomatoes and distribute them evenly in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
• Remove the pan from the oven and add mozzarella balls evenly over the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown. The internal temperature for the chicken should also reach 165F as read on a meat thermometer.
• Meanwhile, make the balsamic glaze by adding the remaining balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Let it simmer for over low heat until thickened and reduced by half (about 5-7 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Allow the baked chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Then, drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. Garnish with basil and serve warm.

HEALTHY BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN GLUTEN-FREE

Steps:

• 1. Add chicken thighs, balsamic and honey to cooking dish. Drizzle the honey over the chicken thighs to help caramelize the tops but don't stress over making it perfect as it melts anyways.2. Bake at 350 uncovered until cooked through, about 30 minutes if thawed fully, longer if partially frozen.3. Cut tomatoes into 4 slices and then dice remaining.4. Cook pasta per directions.5. Remove chicken from oven and pour off sauce into a small pot.6. Chicken thighs can be broiled for a few minutes if you prefer crispy skin. Then top with a tomato slice and mozzarella slice and broil until cheese is melted.Sauce:1. If in a hurried mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon room temperature balsamic vinegar and whisk until lump-free. Add to sauce from chicken, whisking it in. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.2. If not in a hurry the sauce can be reduced down slowly over medium heat until thick which takes about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally at first, and more regularly towards the end to keep from burning. It does omit somewhat acidic smelling fumes so keep your exhaust fan on during the process.3. Serve each piece over pasta with sauce, additional diced tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese.

BAKED CAPRESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Make a seasoning mix: Add the salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towel.
• Arrange the chicken in a baking dish (we use a 2-quart 10 x 8 inch casserole dish). Rub it all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Sprinkle about ½ of the prepared seasoning mix on the chicken - make sure to get both sides.
• Cut the ends off each tomato. Slice one tomato into roughly ¼ inch slices. You will need about 2-3 slices for each piece of chicken, depending on how large they are. Cut a couple of slices from a second tomato if you need to.
• Place the tomato slices on top of the chicken without overlapping. Sprinkle them with generous pinch of the seasoning mix.
• Cut the remaining tomatoes into quarters, then cut each quarter into 1-inch pieces. Place the cut tomatoes in a bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining seasoning mix. Toss to coat.
• Arrange the cut tomatoes around the chicken.
• Bake the chicken for 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through. The chicken should be at 165°F at the thickest part of the largest piece. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully move the oven rack and set it on the top third of the oven.
• Set the oven to broil.
• Arrange the mozzarella slices on top of the chicken without overlapping.
• Place the dish back in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Do not leave the oven's side during this step. Turn on the light and peek in because the cheese can go from melted and beautiful to burnt in no time.
• Cut the basil into thin strips (chiffonade) right before serving. Garnish the baked chicken caprese with the sliced basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, if desired. Serve on a bed of pasta like we do here or with your favorite side dish.

CAPRESE-STYLE CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, wide, oven-proof pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic & chicken. Cook chicken 5 minutes per side, turning once, or until no longer pink.
• Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over the chicken, and sprinkle lemon juice over the top. Preheat grill.
• Top each piece of chicken with 4 tomato slices and 1/4 of mozzarella. Place under grill and grill until cheese is golden (about 3 minutes).
• Remove from grill and top with fresh basil. Serve with desired side dish.