Baked chicken inspired by the summertime favorite caprese salad.
CAPRESE CHICKEN – A traditional caprese is made with fresh slices of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Where everything in a caprese salad is traditionally raw, here the mozzarella and tomatoes are cooked.
Tomato slices are roasted alongside thin chicken – cutlets – seasoned with olive oil, Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese. The chicken is cooked through and topped with slices of mozzarella for a trip under the broiler where it has a chance to melt and turn bubbly and golden.
Only then is it topped with the roasted tomatoes and fragrant peppery basil. You can drizzle it with a little balsamic vinegar and/or extra-virgin olive oil but it really doesn’t need it. It’s absolutely perfect as is and only takes about 25 minutes to make from start to finish.
One of those unforgettable combinations that never gets old.
You can make this all year around.
CAPRESE CHICKEN
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 3 tomatoes on the vine thickly sliced
- Italian seasoning
- fresh grated Parmesan
- 4 chicken cutlets about 1 + ¼ pounds
- 4 - 5 ounces mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
- a handful of fresh basil leaves torn or chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 1 large baking sheet and 1 baking pan with olive oil.
- Lay the tomatoes down on the baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and Parmesan.
- Place the chicken cutlets in the baking pan and season well with salt and pepper.
- Bake both about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove them both and heat the broiler.
- Cover the chicken with the mozzarella and broil until melted with some brown spots - 2 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
- To serve top with the tomatoes and basil.