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Meet Noreen!

Hi!  I'm Noreen, wife, mother of two amazing, almost grown, daughters, content creator, cook, baker and sister in Christ. Welcome to my Kitchen!   I hope you stick around, enjoy the recipes and share them with those you love!

Noreen's Kitchen

I hope you give this parmesan pesto crusted chicken a try for your Easter menu or really anytime!  I also hope you give this a try for bulk freezer banking and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

It's time to get thinking about our Easter menu.  If you are in charge of entertaining for Easter the time is now to start thinking about what you are going to serve!  This year Easter is set to happen on April 1, 2018.  So let's not be fools and be unprepared!  This recipe for Parmesan pesto crusted chicken breast is a real winner.  It is simple, delicious and quick to make.  You can make it ahead and stow in the fridge the day before making or you can even flash freeze these before cooking and thaw when ready.  That way you can have these ready for anytime you need a quick, delicious meal to put on the table fast!

This is so simple and the flavor reward is so great, you might not believe how easy it is.  This dish is fit for the finest company or for your family on a busy Wednesday evening.  There are only a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand and you can make these in advance and in bulk if you choose as well.  These will be a welcomed addition to any Easter or spring buffet or banquet or any entertaining opportunity.  

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I started with chicken breasts and sliced into two cutlets each.  Then they were laid out on a baking sheet that was both lined with foil and brushed with olive oil.  Each chicken breast was brushed with approximately one tablespoon of prepared pesto sauce and then topped with a crunchy topping made with mozzarella, Parmesan, panko bread crumb, olive oil and seasonings.  That's it! 

These bake for approximately 30 minutes or until done or when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.  I like to allow these to rest for 10 minutes before serving to be sure they are just the right temperature and not too hot to enjoy.

I served these with roasted lemon asparagus and Farffale pasta dressed with roasted garlic marinara sauce.  This was a delicious Sunday evening meal that my family loved a lot!  We had two servings leftover for lunch the next day along with the sides.  So this can stretch through the week and this chicken, is great cold sliced into a fresh salad!  

Parmesan Pesto Crusted Chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup basil pesto
1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Noreen's Kitchen
Parmesan Pesto Crusted Chicken

​¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and vegetable oil spray.

If your chicken breasts have not been fileted, cut so you have two cutlets from each one.  I usually use three chicken breasts for my family and have six cutlets.

Place chicken cutlets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.   Set aside.

Combine cheeses, bread crumbs, olive oil and seasonings in a bowl.  Toss to coat.  

Evenly spread pesto on chicken breasts.  Approximately 1 tablespoon per breast.

Evenly distribute bread crumb mixture on top of the chicken breasts.  Press down slightly to be sure the mixture sticks.

Place chicken in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done and opaque or a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

                                             Enjoy!