Pesto Stuffed Bread Food

PESTO PULL-APART BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Combine olive oil and pesto. Dip biscuit pieces into pesto mixture until coated; place in an 8-inch round baking pan. Top with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and ripe olives., Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; return to oven, and bake until melted, about 5 minutes longer. Cut into wedges or pull apart; serve warm, with additional pesto if desired.

BRAIDED BREAD WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth. Gradually pour in olive oil and process until pesto thickens. Add Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and salt; process for 20 seconds more. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add to the yeast mixture along with olive oil. Stir until just combined. Add more flour if dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn dough over so both top and bottom are oiled. Cover with aluminum foil and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Lightly flour your work surface. Gently stretch and elongate dough into a rectangle roughly 12x18 inches. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Gently roll up into a 'snake', starting from 1 long side. Pinch the seam closed.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal or line with parchment paper.
• Transfer rolled dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the roll in half lengthwise. Turn dough so cut edges face up. Gently crisscross the dough, keeping cut edges facing up. Pinch ends together to form a wreath. Let rest for 30 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

PESTO STAR BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 4 portions. Roll each into a 12-in. circle. Place 1 circle on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with half the basil pesto to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Place second circle of dough on top; spread with sun-dried tomato pesto and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with third circle of dough, remaining basil pesto and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan; top with final portion of dough., Place a 2-1/2-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle (do not press down). With a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from round cutter to edge of dough, forming a starburst. Remove cutter; grasp 2 adjacent strips and rotate twice outward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips., Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven; brush with melted butter, avoiding areas where pesto is visible. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with additional cheese and basil before serving; serve with pesto or marinara.

BASIL PESTO BREAD ROUNDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven on broiler setting. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted on one side. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Remove from oven, and flip bread slices so that the toasted side is on the bottom.
• Set the oven temperature for 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, pesto, garlic, Parmesan and salt. Spread evenly over untoasted sides of bread slices.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Set the oven to broil, and place the rounds under the broiler just until they begin to bubble and turn golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

PESTO STUFFED BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Using a serrated knife, make a cut into the bread until it almost reaches the bottom. Repeat the process, making 2.5cm (1in) "slices".
• Slather the slices with as much pesto as your your heart desires.
• Cram the slices with mozzarella and finish it off with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted.

BREADED PESTO STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl with a fork.
• Cut a pocket in the chicken breast. Be sure not to cut all the way through the breast. Keep the hole small.
• Stuff approximately 2 tablespoons of filling in each breast.
• Heat a cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Brown the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.
• Beat the wet mixture in a wide bowl with a fork, until it is a uniform color. In another bowl mix the breading ingredients.
• Coat the chicken with the wet mixture and then place in the breading bowl and coat with the breading mixture.
• Place into cast iron pan. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the hot oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove and cover each breast with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

PESTO-STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Cut a pocket into each chicken breast. Evenly stuff pocket of each chicken breast with 1 slice mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon pesto.
• Beat together eggs and remaining 1 tablespoon pesto in a bowl. Place Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg mixture and then coat with Parmesan cheese. Place coated chicken breast onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices are running clear, 20 to 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

PARMESAN-PESTO CRUSTED FLOUNDER

Steps:

• Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and set aside.
• Saute the garlic and shallot until translucent in the olive oil, and add to bread crumbs and parmesan mixture.
• Spray fillets lightly with pam on one side, turn over and spread a thin layer of pesto on other side.
• Press the bread crumb mixture gently onto the fillets (both sides).
• Broil in oven for about 3-4 minutes each side, or until fish flakes easily and crumb mixture is golden.
• Serve with Honey Balsamic Portabello Mushroom Sauce and enjoy!

GRILLED PESTO STUFFED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the grill.
• Loosen skin from thighs to form a pocket; stuff with pesto.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mash garlic with 1/8 teaspoon salt to form a paste; stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and brush on bread slices.
• Toast bread on grill.
• Serve chicken on bread, garlic side up.

PESTO PIZZA BREAD

Steps:

• For Sauce.
• Combine first 6 ingredients in processor or blender and puree, stopping machine as necessary to scrape down sides of container; pour into bowl.
• Stir in cheeses, cover and refrigerate.
• (Flavor is better if cheeses are grated and added just before using.).
• For Bread.
• Grease two 14-inch pizza pans or heavy bottomed baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Oil large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Pour 2/3 cup warm water into another large bowl.
• Add yeast and sugar and stir until disolved.
• Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in remaining water with olive oil and salt.
• Mix in about 5 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition, until dough comes away from sides of bowl.
• Sprinkle work surface with 1/2 cup remaining flour.
• Turn dough out onto surface and knead until dough is smooth, shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to oiled bowl, turning to coat all surfaces.
• Cover with towel and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down, turn out onto floured surface and knead briefly into ball.
• Return to bowl, cover with towel and let stand in warm, draft-free area until doubled again, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down;.turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half;roll or pat each half into 14-inch circle.
• Transfer to prepared pans.
• Pinch up edges of dough to form shallow rim.
• Brush twice with egg mixture.
• Divide Pesto Sauce evenly between crusts.
• Let stand in warm, draft-free area for approximately 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Bake until crusts are golden brown,about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
• Bread may be wrapped in foil and refrigerated for several hours after baking and cooling. To reheat, sprinkle with a little water, wrap in foil and warm in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
• For variations,arrange slices of Fontina, Bel Paese, mozarella or provalone cheese over Pesto Sauce before baking.