Tips and Tricks
This was such an easy and fun recipe to make but it looks like it took a lot of effort. It would be the perfect addition to your recipe collection and even good to make for guests or visitors. Even the kids loved it!
Chicken
You can use any type of chicken here but it’s definitely best to use thin chicken breast cutlets to achieve a quick and even cook. I decided to cut mine in half to make them thinner and I pounded them down with a meat mallet to get them to my desired thickness.
As always, please make sure to temp your chicken to make sure it’s done to 165 degrees. We use this instant thermometer, it was cheap and it does the trick.
Basil
For the basil, fresh is definitely best. Dried basil will also work in a pinch, but the fresh basil is definitely the best. I used to buy the potted basil plants from the grocery store and they always died on me. I did finally get a hydroponic garden for my counter and it’s absolutely amazing. Now we always have fresh herbs, we’re even getting to the point where we have too many and we have to give them away to friends and family.
Tomatoes
This recipe is great when you have a ton of tomatoes that you need to get rid of. I personally used beefsteak tomatoes but that’s because it’s what we had. Roma tomatoes would work really good with this recipe too.
When making the tomato mixture, you’ll want to make sure you have enough for who you’re feeding. Most of my kids don’t like tomatoes so we didn’t have to use as much. Definitely make that consideration as you’re preparing because it’s better to have too much than not enough.
Garlic
This is a biggie, you’ll REALLY want to use fresh garlic for this recipe. It really, really makes it pop. If you don’t like fresh garlic or you want to use garlic from a jar that’s fine too.
Bruschetta Mixture
You can prep and mix all ingredients early. It will help the flavors meld together nicely if you prepare this ahead of time. It’s not traditional, but I LOVE to add a tiny amount of balsamic glaze to my bruschetta. It gives it a sweet little pop and makes the flavors stand out. I also like to make it a little extra saucy so we have extra to drizzle over the chicken.
Cheese
For the cheese I personally used a log of fresh, pre-sliced mozzarella. If you don’t have that you can also use shredded mozzarella, an Italian mix of cheese, and even sliced mozzarella. I also topped mine with a little bit of shaved parmesan cheese which made it super yummy!
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! This recipe can be prepped and made ahead of time. Just don’t add the tomatoes until you’re ready to serve. We actually had some leftover and it heated up just as good as it did when it was fresh.
Best Sides to Serve
We made a simple toasted garlic bucatini pasta with ours and it was delicious! Veggies, salad, pasta, and rice would also go really well with this.
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
- Hydroponic Planter Totally optional, I just wanted to share how we always have fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1/2 Whole Tomatoes Any type works. Roma is best.
- 6-10 Fresh Basil Leaves Dried Basil works in a jam.
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil Divided
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar Divided
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Balsamic Glaze
- 3 Garlic Cloves Jar garlic works too but fresh garlic is definitely makes it pop.
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Log
Instructions
For the Bruschetta Tomato Topping
- Wash and cut tomatoes into tiny chunks. Any type of tomatoes will work for this, roma is the best option but we only had beefsteak so that's what we used.
- Mince fresh garlic cloves and add to the bowl of tomatoes. Fresh is definitely best in this recipe but jarred garlic will work in a pinch.
- Stack and cut basil leaves. I like to do little strips, also called chiffonade. Add to the bowl of garlic and tomatoes.
- Add 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar, saving the other tbsp. for later.
- Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil, saving the other tbsp. for later.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. About 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
- Add 1/2 tsp. of balsamic glaze. This is optional, but I think it brings all the flavors together and gives it an extra little sweetness.
- Mix all ingredients and place in the fridge for later. Letting it sit will help the flavors meld together.
Chicken
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim chicken breast to remove any extra fatty pieces. I cut the chicken in half and pounded them so they would cook evenly. You can leave them whole if you'd like but the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
- On a sheet pan, use the additional olive oil to lightly coat both sides of the chicken breast.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper on both sides of the oiled chicken breasts.
- This step is optional, but I sprinkled a few drops of balsamic vinegar on each breast and rubbed it in. Don't over-do this step, just a drop or two goes a long way.
- Place seasoned chicken in your 350 degree oven and bake for about 10-13 minutes until it's fully cooked.
- While the chicken is cooking you can slice your mozzarella cheese. If you bought the pre-sliced roll, like I did, then you're all set.
- Once chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees you can pull it out of the oven. My chicken had a ton of juice so I poured some of the extra off the pan. You don't want it completely dry but too much liquid makes the next step soggy.
- Place 2-3 slices of the mozzarella cheese on each piece of cooked chicken. If you want this dairy free you will just skip this step.
- Place chicken with cheese back into the 350 degree oven and bake until it's melted nicely. About 3 minutes for us, it could vary based on your oven and the temp or thickness of your cheese.
- Once the cheese has melted nicely you pull it out of the oven and plate quickly. Top it with the tomato mixture and drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top.
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