Chicken Pesto Pizza

I made this deliciousness for dinner last night. I made some adjustments to the recipe, so here's what I did...


ingredients
pesto*
whole chicken breast, cooked and shredded
italian-blend shredded cheese (the recipe calls for fontina, but I already had this in the house)
I eliminated the artichoke hearts
pizza crust (I use these crusts from Boboli, because you can freeze them and they don't have to thaw before you put them in the oven to cook!)
optional: garlic clove


directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Slice the garlic clove, and rub it on the pizza crust.
3. Spread the pesto on the crust. Place the pieces of chicken on top of the pesto, and sprinkle the cheese.
4. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned at the edges.


**If I had one in the house yesterday, I probably would have sliced up a tomato to add to this. It was a little dry, but still delicious. :) 


*pesto recipe:
I made pesto a few weeks ago (using the recipe below) and froze portions of it in an ice cube tray. So for this recipe, I popped out a few cubes (I think 5) and set them on  a plate on top of the oven while it was preheating to thaw.


2 c. firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 c. pine nuts
3 tbsp. grated parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil


1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients, except the oil. Pulse until a thick paste forms. Add oil until mixture is well combined.
2. Transfer to an airtight container. Press plastic wrap (I used wax paper) directly onto pesto--to keep basil from browning. Cover with lid; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.
(From Woman's Day magazine.)

Too good to not pass along.

Last week I was scrambling to find an easy main course for dinner. The meal I had been planning all day fell through at the last minute (I can't remember why), and I didn't have much time (or many ingredients) to come up with a new one.

I'd been given this little cookbook for one of my bridal showers, and so I quickly flipped through it until I found an option for which I had all the ingredients.

1/2 c. mayonnaise-type salad dressing

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese

3/4 t. garlic powder

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 c. italian-flavored dry bread crumbs

Combine salad dressing, parmesan cheese and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Coat chicken with mixture; cover each with bread crumbs. Arrange chicken in an ungreased baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Super easy to make. Pretty common ingredients. And Brett told me it was the best thing I've made since we've been married.

I'd give it an A+ on all counts. :)