Grilled Chicken Margherita
This dish is exactly what my Summer needed and I’m willing to bet your Summer needs it too.
We have been so busy this past month with all of the warm weather activities we love so much, but on top of all that madness, our kitchen is under construction. Yes, again. You may remember us being in the same boat two years ago, but we moved and it’s a whole new kitchen we’re remodeling this time around. This one is a doozy of a project.
Everything we own is covered in an 1/8th inch of drywall dust, we have no flooring, the upper cabinets just got ripped out, and our oven is in the basement. In the BASEMENT friends. So we are grilling up the wazoo these days.
This grilled chicken margherita is perfectly juicy and seasoned, topped with gooey, melty mozzarella cheese, 5-minute pesto (the BEST EVER!) and tomato basil relish.
This is one of the dishes that have saved us lately with our kitchen mess, but even if we weren’t tearing apart the heart of our home, this easy, 30-minute meal would still be starring on our dinner table.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to less than 1 inch thickness
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (OR 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano + 1/4 teaspoon dried basil +
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme) - 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves, very thinly sliced
- cracked black pepper
Instructions:
In a large bowl combine chicken, salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic power, and Italian seasoning. Toss to combine.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook another minute or so until melted.
Toss tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil together. Top each chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons pesto, a scoop of tomatoes, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.