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Sautéed chicken wrapped in prosciutto and topped with melted mozzarella and marinated cherry tomatoes. Quick, easy, and summery!
As much as I love to cook, I always look forward to a meal out. After cooking and serving hungry men all week it can be hard to muster up any excitement over cooking on a Friday night. When the boys were small, going out to dinner alone with my husband was a big deal. Lots of planning and organization had to take place before it could happen. Lining up a babysitter; planning and cooking a meal for the boys to eat in our absence. Now that they are grown and are completely capable of fending for themselves, we can just jump in the car and go. I will forever consider this a true luxury.
We frequently hit up our favorite little Italian place and when we do, we always order the caprese to start. It consists of slices of fresh mozzarella layered with red, ripe tomatoes, and basil. They include a little prosciutto and the whole thing is drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It’s simple and perfect. We always say that with a little bread and some wine, we could easily call it dinner. I got to thinking about this and decided to add some chicken and do exactly that. I’m calling this dinner. Are you with me? Let’s do it.
The grocery list – Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, minced garlic, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Not pictured but very necessary – boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Don’t you just love these little containers of cherry tomatoes? They also refer to them as salad tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and snacking tomatoes. I love ’em. I like to use both red and yellow for a really vibrant, pretty dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved tomatoes, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Let it sit while we work on the chicken.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, in batches, for about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Season it with salt and pepper to taste as it cooks.
It should be nice and golden brown on both sides and the juices should run clear.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a large cutting board or other work surface and let it sit until it is cool enough to handle.
I slice the mozzarella length-wise so it will fit the pieces of chicken, just right.
Nice fit.
Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each piece of chicken, securing the cheese. The proscuitto is very thin and delicate. It’s okay if it tears, just drape it around the chicken the best you can. It will all work out in the end!
Transfer the chicken bundles to a large baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon the tomato mixture, along with all of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, right over the top.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top and pop it in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
The cheese will melt and the tomatoes will get warm and wonderful.
Fresh, summery, and completely divine.
Chicken Caprese
Ingredients
- 20 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes halved (use a mixture of yellow and red)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ pounds thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 to 8 ounces proscuitto
- 6 to 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl combine cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well to combine and set aside.
- Place chicken on a cutting board. If thicker than 1/2-inch, use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound it or use a sharp knife to slice all the way through the piece of chicken, vertically, creating two thin pieces. Cut into smaller portion sizes, if needed. Season both sides with Italian seasoning, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, to taste. Wrap each piece with a slice of prosciutto, tucking ends under the bottom. The prosciutto should cover most of the chicken.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12- to 14-inch skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until the prosciutto is crisped and the chicken is golden brown on both sides. Remove the skillet from the heat and top each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese. Pour the tomato mixture along with all the liquid from the bowl over and around the chicken in the skillet.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted, the tomatoes have softened, and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured in the thickest part with an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven.
- Scatter the basil over the top, sprinkle with the finely shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and serve.
Gina says
Thank you for another delicious recipe Val! I made this last night and really enjoyed it!
Lynna says
I never realized how hard it becomes for the parents when their children are little until I grew older and saw it on TV show. Haha. This dinner looks delicious, I’m loving the colors of the tomatoes!