Easy Chicken, Pesto, and Tomato Sheet Pan

I have to admit, I've seen this idea done several different ways. The original I saw had cheese melted on top, instead of the bread crumbs. Another they baked the chicken on top of a layer of Asparagus spears that had been lightly oiled and seasoned. I have also seen it wrapped in parchment paper layered in a 9 x 13 pan. That means the recipe is versatile.

The first time I made this, I needed quick and easy dish for Sunday dinner and movie night. We were going out to the theatre mid-afternoon, so I wanted an all-in-one meal for four. I chose to layer the chicken on top of asparagus on a sheet pan to bake. I lined the sheet pan with foil, then coated it with cooking spray to avoid any sticking. It was quick, easy and had lots of flavor. I used this again for a family meal before my daughter's wedding because it is so easy to adjust how many it feed.

The combinations of vegetables and seasonings you can explore with this technique are endless, so throw caution to the wind and be brave. Kids don't like one vegetable? You can sub another. Recently I tossed broccoli with oil and seasoning and just stacked it around the outside of the sheet pan so it could roast alongside the chicken. Try to chose a vegetable with  a similar cooking time to the meat are best.

While I liked the original recipe, I felt it could be improved. In the end I recently made two simple adjustments that elevated it for me. I now butterfly the chicken breasts open and lay them flat. This helped the meat cook faster, more evenly and connected the pesto with more of the meat surface. I also got rid of the cheese topping and switched to a mix of bread crumbs and parmesan tossed with a little melted butter. The change was delicious, especially if you use seasoned bread crumbs.

Feel free to play around with the prep and ingredients. Make it your own. Who knows, you may invent your family's next favorite dish. Enjoy!

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Easy One-Dish Chicken, Pesto, and Tomato

4 Servings

Ingredients -

4              Four large good quality chicken breasts, butterfly open and lay flat

1              Jar pre-made pesto or one recipe of homemade pesto

1 - 2        Tomatoes (or more), depending on the size, thinly sliced

1/2 C       Seasoned Italian bread crumbs (or Panko)

1/2 C       Finely grated parmesan cheese

Olive Oil

Melted butter

Salt

Pepper

Optional: Asparagus, broccoli or other roasting vegetable. 

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Line a large sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

If including veggies - Wash and dry.  Asparagus - snap off tough stem. Others cut to a nice roasting size. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well.  Lay the asparagus down the middle of the sheet pan and place the chicken on top to roast. For other vegetables, place them around the outside of the sheet pan (chicken down the middle).

Add the bread crumbs and parmesan to a bowl. Drizzle with enough melted butter to moisten everything evenly, but not so much it gets oily.  Toss gently until mixed well.  Place the 4 chicken breasts that have been butterflied open on the sheet pan.  Coat with with a layer of pesto (I like a thick layer, but up to you). Place a single layer of thinly sliced tomatoes on top. Then pile a good layer of the butter parmesan bread crumbs mix on top, covering each completely.  

Bake for 20-30 minutes.  I would definitely check at 20 minutes, and if the crumbs on top are browning too fast, drape foil loosely over the dish to keep them from burning.  Take it out of the oven as soon as the chicken is done (thermometer should read minimum 165°F (74°C).   Serve with rice or potato or pasta side dish, vegetables and/or salad, and a crusty warm bread.