It’s been far too long since I’ve written a Cooking With The Modern Philosopher post, and I thought Memorial Day would be the perfect time to put on my apron again.
As you know, Modern Philosophers, I’ve been making major changes in my life, and one of those has been to my diet. With that in mind, I’ve been looking for simple, healthy recipes that I can whip up on the weekend.
This one was from a healthy cooking page on Facebook. I just had to watch the video once to know that it was something I could easily handle and wanted to try.
I’m not a master chef by any means, so the more basic the recipe the better. This one was so simple that the most difficult thing about it was tracking down the pesto sauce in my local supermarket.
Ready to learn how to make super simple Chicken Pesto, Modern Philosophers?
This is all you’re going to need: chicken breasts, pesto sauce, a tomato or two (depending on how much you prefer), and shredded mozzarella.
The first time I went to the store, I couldn’t find the pesto and decided to make something else that week. When I went back this week, I asked for help and before I knew it, three associates were tracking down the stuff for me.
Remember, if you can’t find something, ask someone who is paid to know where it is.
I have to admit that I had just planned to put the chicken directly on the baking sheet, but a little birdie whispered in my ear to wrap it in aluminum foil.
She told me that the foil would keep in the juices, and prevent the meat from drying out in the oven. I never would have thought to do that.
It always pays to have a little birdie around…
I’d bought three chicken breasts for the week, but two of them were so large that I cut them in half. This recipe works for whatever amount of chicken you want to use.
Cover the chicken in pesto. Do this to taste. I’ve never tried pesto, so I didn’t want to just slobber it on in case I didn’t like it. I figured I could always add more after the fact if the meal seemed to need it.
Once you put on the pesto, slice your tomato and add a slice to every breast. If you’re a huge tomato fan, add more than one. You’re free to do whatever you want!
Next, cover the chicken in mozzarella. Since I’m trying to be healthy, I bought the low fat kind. Since I love cheese, I used a lot of it.
Sure, that might not seem healthy, but I’m not looking to starve myself. I’m a cheese fan and I’m not going to skimp.
Use whatever amount of cheese you desire. But if you’re a cheese fan like me, just go for it. It’s a healthy recipe, so a little extra mozzarella isn’t going to kill you.
Cover the chicken in foil and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, take it out of the oven, remove the foil, and cut open one of the breasts to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
The last thing you want to do is get sick from a healthy recipe, so make sure to cook your chicken thoroughly.
I had a little taste when it was just out of the oven, and it was quite delicious.
Enjoy! If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out. If you have any simple, healthy recipes, please share!
Do you like what the Modern Philosopher is cooking? Then follow me on Pinterest…
that sounds so good, i’m going to try it )
It was so delicious!
Don’t skimp on the pesto… it’s kind of like garlic.. you can never have too much of it. 🙂
I just had dinner. Added extra pesto. So good!
I love pesto and I’ve made something very similar to this – maybe even actually this, who knows? Awesome.
It ended up being really delicious. I will definitely make it again!
Looks awesome!! If you love trying quick and easy recipes that are healthy and simple to make you should check out my page for a few ideas. I think you’ll really dig it. Keep up the good work!!