Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

My mother-in-law makes THE most wonderful, decadent, fresh pesto I've ever had. She has a simple recipe that we adore. And I knew I wanted to make chicken tonight, so I whipped up a quick filling and it was an instant family hit! The kids loved the chicken and the creamy, cheesy filling! And the sun-dried tomatoes added a tangy, almost sweet, bite. 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1-2 tbsp. Pesto
• 3 pieces of sun-dried tomato, minced
• 2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 chicken breasts
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Other: toothpicks or twine

I sliced the chicken down the center to create a pocket for the filling. I topped the filling with two basil leaves.

Then, I placed the stuffed chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I used 3-4 toothpicks to secure the opening on each breast. Or if you don't have toothpicks, you could also use kitchen twine.

Lastly, I drizzled some olive oil on each chicken breast and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. If you want, you could even skip the toothpicks and wrap each chicken breast with 2-3 pieces of bacon.

I baked the chicken in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Use your discretion, as each oven cooks a different speeds. 

I served the chicken with broccoli, but mashed potatoes would also be a wonderful side to this dish.

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Chicken Gyro

I'm a sucker for a good gyro. And this recipe for chicken gyros is crazy easy and tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

• Tsatziki sauce ( homemade or store bought)
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 6 pieces of pita bread (I used naan bread)

Optional toppings:

• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Iceberg lettuce, shredded
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Kalamata olives
• Tomato, sliced or diced

I started by slicing the chicken into thin, small pieces. Then, I added all of the marinade ingredients into a glass bowl. 

I mixed the marinade, added the chicken, and coated the chicken in the marinade. I covered it and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.

When I was ready to cook the chicken, I poured it onto a small baking pan and spread it out -- creating one thin layer.

I heated the frozen naan bread (you might use pita) in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I put the broiler in my oven on high and set the rack to be about 6 inches under the broiler. Then, I put the chicken under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Each oven is different, so keep an eye on the chicken. You might want to take it out every few minutes and toss the chicken so that you get even browning.

Today was a snowy day, so I didn't want to leave the house and get more toppings... therefore, I only had tzatziki sauce, yellow onion, and feta. I would have liked to have some tomato as well, but next time!

I like to spread a thin layer of tzatziki sauce on the bread, but you can always put it on top. The chicken was delicious and even the kiddos ate a bunch!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

I found this delicious recipe on Pinterest and adjusted it to fit my husband and I's likes. It turned out great and Will had 2 servings (so we know he liked it!).

Ingredients for Chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts (I sliced them in half to make 4 fillets)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 small sleeves (or 1 large) of Ritz crackers, crushed
• salt and pepper
• dried parsley

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp sour cream

Preparation of Chicken:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Put the milk, cheese, and Ritz crackers into separate containers. Season the crackers with salt and pepper
• Dip the chicken in milk
• Press the chicken into the cheese. You might need to pat it onto the chicken. Some may fall off.
• Then press the chicken into the crushed crackers. Pat down the crackers into the chicken.
• Place chicken fillets into a greased pan (around 9x13) and sprinkle with parsley
• Bake in the oven for 35 minutes covered with foil and then uncovered for another 10 minutes

Preparation of Sauce:

• Melt butter in small saucepan
• Add soup and sour cream
• Whisk until combined and hot
• Serve over chicken

I served the chicken with some mashed potatoes. The sauce worked great as a gravy as well! Yum :)

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Chicken & Gnocchi with Basil Pesto

Friends, this is a quick dinner -- like 15 minutes top! I cooked, we ate, and I cleaned within an hour.

Ingredients for the basil pesto:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/8 cup Pine Nuts
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

I added all the pesto ingredients into my bullet (you can use a food processor, or blender) and let it rip!

Look how green!

Preparing the chicken & gnocchi:

I cut one chicken breast into bite size pieces, about as big as the gnocchi and browned the chicken in some olive oil. I used a large stainless steel skillet because the gnocchi and pesto are going to join the party in a little bit.

I added the gnocchi to some salted boiling water and cooked it for 2-3 minutes.

Chicken is all browned!

I added the gnocchi to the skillet and lightly browned them. At this point, the heat is on low.

I poured the pesto over the chicken and gnocchi and gave it a toss!

Beautiful! Ready for plating :)

I garnished each serving with chopped parsley and more Parmesan -- so good!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis