Description
Mediterranean-inspired Pesto Chicken and Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread delivers a symphony of flavors that dance across your palate. Crisp flatbread layered with zesty pesto, tender chicken, and creamy mozzarella promises a delightful culinary journey you won’t soon forget.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 2 chicken breasts
Cheese:
- Fresh mozzarella, hand-shredded
Base:
- 1 fresh flatbread (from the grocery store bakery)
Seasoning and Flavoring:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) store-bought pesto
- ½ shallots, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden
- All-purpose seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
Garnish and Finishing:
- Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
- 1 handful of fresh arugula
Instructions
- Infuse the chicken with robust flavors by generously coating chicken breasts with all-purpose seasoning, salt, and cracked pepper.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high temperature and pan-sear the chicken until a golden-brown crust develops, ensuring thorough cooking throughout the meat (approximately 10-12 minutes depending on thickness).
- Slice or shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces, then generously coat with vibrant, herbaceous pesto sauce.
- Prepare crispy shallots by thinly slicing them and gently frying in extra virgin olive oil until they transform into delicate, golden-brown crisps.
- Drizzle the caramelized shallots with rich, sweet balsamic glaze to enhance their depth of flavor.
- Position the flatbread on a clean baking sheet and spread a thin, even layer of verdant pesto as the foundational sauce.
- Distribute shredded mozzarella across the surface, creating a blanket of creamy cheese.
- Artfully arrange the pesto-coated chicken pieces over the cheese, ensuring even coverage.
- Sprinkle the crispy shallots across the flatbread for added texture and complexity.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and bake the flatbread until the cheese melts and develops a subtle golden hue (approximately 8-10 minutes).
- After removing from the oven, garnish with a delicate drizzle of balsamic glaze.
- Crown the flatbread with fresh, peppery arugula leaves just before serving to add a vibrant, crisp element.
Notes
- Swap chicken for tofu or tempeh to create a vegetarian version that’s just as flavorful and satisfying.
- Use gluten-free flatbread or cauliflower crust for those with wheat sensitivities or following a low-carb diet.
- Prep chicken in advance and store in the refrigerator to save time during busy weeknights, keeping the meat moist by adding a splash of extra pesto before reheating
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg