Monday, July 11, 2011

Pesto on the Go

I think I need to get a Rachael Ray cookbook because so far I have not found one of her recipes I don't like and they're so quick and easy to make! Anna and I always talk recipes, the other day she put me in the mood for some pesto sauce but I wanted to add chicken to it. After a quick google search I came across this recipe for Pesto Chicken Grill Packets.

I loved the packet idea since there is no cook work involved just a quick prep job. I turned the recipe into an oven recipe versus the grill since it's easier for me to work with, but I'm sure it'd be just as good cooked on the grill. I loved that there was no pans to clean up after dinner and it was such an easy recipe to make and I also loved the vegetables (zucchini and tomatoes) incorporated into it. I could def see myself making this one again!

Pesto Chicken Grill Packets
Source/Adapted From: Rachael Ray Magazine

Ingredients: 
Olive oil, for drizzling
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast --> I used a pkg of thin sliced chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Pesto sauce
1 large zucchini thinly sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved, about a pint and a half
8 scallions, trimmed

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make a tin foil "boat" in a baking dish (I used two brownie size pans with a boat in each). Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into the center of each sheet.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay chicken in the center of tin foil sheet. Mound one-quarter of the zucchini, tomatoes and scallions over each chicken breast. Dollop pesto over each mound. Fold the foil over the chicken and vegetables; pinch the edges to seal.

I just estimated the pesto sauce on the chicken, I didn't over do it, I def did not use 3 tbsp worth on each breast as the recipe called for. I was surprised when I opened the packets and found there was a ton of sauce and oil covering it, they were plenty marinated.

Cover and bake the packets on 425 for for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and open carefully (watch for steam coming out). Serve with pasta with pesto sauce.  I bought one jar of pesto sauce (classico). It was a small jar but was plenty to cover both the chicken and the pasta.

Not the best pictures since I was really excited to eat it
My tin foil boat and the end product - so yummy!

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