Chicken Pesto Roll Ups

By sassy47

Ingredients

• 4 med/large chicken breasts,
• Garlic Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) Pesto sauce
• 8 oz Shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve 2 oz for topping)
• 1 large or 2 medium tomatos, thinly sliced into 12 rings
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, optional
• Fresh basil leaves, shredded, optional garnish

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 19mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise so you have 8 thin chicken cutlets. Pound each cutlet in a quart sized ziploc bag or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8″ thick. Season both sides of your thin cutlets with garlic salt and black pepper.
Spoon and spread 1 Tbsp pesto in the center of each cutlet, top with 2 thin slices of tomato and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese. Roll the chicken up as tightly as you can and seal ends with a toothpick.
Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add chicken roll-ups and sear on both sides until golden (4 min per side for a total of 8 minutes on the stove).
Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese and scatter 1 cup of baby tomatoes over the top. Place the skillet on the center rack of your preheated preheated oven and bake 425˚F for 13-15 minutes (13 minutes for these these medium chicken breasts and 15 minutes for larger chicken breasts, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer.
To serve, remove toothpicks then plate chicken pesto roll ups, spooning pan juices and roasted tomatoes over the top and garnish with freshly chopped basil. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus for a fancy (but simple) dinner!