Cheesy Chicken Pesto {Without Pine Nuts} Recipe

Cheesy Chicken Pesto Recipe

A few days ago I finally bit the bullet, and decided to make my very own fresh pesto without pine nuts. I really have nothing against pine nuts, but I didn’t have them on hand, and I wanted to make pesto really bad. I decided to forego the nuts, and make nut free pesto. I had all the necessary ingredients, including fresh basil so I pretty much just processed them together.

My homemade pesto sans pine nuts make exactly one pints worth so I put it in a pint size mason jar, and placed it in the fridge to sit for a few days. I recently received a Super Pot 3-in-1 Indoor Grill in to review from Aroma Housewares, so I decided to grill some chicken breast for a creative meal; cheesy chicken pesto. I had a nice ball of fresh mozzarella so I figured why not melt some on top of my grilled chicken topped with pesto?

The combination of flavors in this dish was so deliciously good. I made a totally random side of fresh mixed beans with a little olive oil, garlic, and soy sauce, and called it a meal-my cheesy chicken pesto was a hit!

:

• About 3 cups, or a large bunch of fresh pesto leaves
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A pinch of salt an pepper
• 8 ounces of parmigiana regiono cheese

Literally add all your ingredient into your food processor, and process them until smooth. Store in an air tight container for up to a week int he fridge or up to 4 months in the freezer.

Cheesy Chicken Pesto ingredients:

4  large chicken breast halved

Salt and pepper to taste

Pesto sauce

Fresh ball of mozzarella cheese

Extra virgin olive oil to sprinkle on the chicken as it grills *optional

Directions:

Grill your chicken until clear juice flow. If you are in the market for a new indoor grill, Aroma Housewares has a great one *see above.

Preheat your oven to 400

Slice your mozzarella ball

Line the chicken in baking dish

Place a dollop of pesto on each piece of chicken, and top with mozzarella.

Bake for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melty, and bubbly

I hope you enjoy your Cheesy Chicken Pesto -our family sure did!