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Mozzarella-Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

By Angie McGowan
Created January 10, 2017
This pesto and mozzarella stuffed chicken breast is a great main dish for busy weeknights.
Mozzarella-Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are my favorite go-to ingredient for weeknight meals. They are extremely versatile and good for us too! I remember my mom had one of those cookbooks when I was a kid that had 365 ways to cook chicken. We worked our way through that book more than once, and with each recipe we tried, it gave us new ideas for other recipes we could create on our own. 

Of all the chicken recipes we use to make, the stuffed chicken recipes are the ones I had the most fun with. You can stuff chicken with so many different things! For this recipe, I kept it simple using pesto and mozzarella. It’s a simple combination, but it’s so tasty. You can use one of these pesto recipes (classic basil, sun-dried tomato, cilantro or spinach) or buy a jar or package of the pre-made stuff to save a little time. 

To get this recipe started, I butterflied open my chicken breasts.

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Then I spread the pesto onto the chicken.

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Make sure you have a good even coat!

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Then place a length of cheese, cut in a 1/2-inch thickness, in the center of the breast.

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Secure the chicken with toothpicks.

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And finally, coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture.

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After baking for 30–40 minutes, slice and serve with a simple salad or steamed vegetables.

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Ingredients

  • Homemade Pesto, if desired
    • 1cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
    • 2tablespoons pine nuts
    • 1clove garlic
    • 1/4cup olive or vegetable oil
    • 1/3cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Chicken
    • 4boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 1cup Homemade Pesto or purchased basil pesto
    • 4slices (1/2 inch thick) mozzarella cheese
    • 1cup Progresso™ plain bread crumbs
    • 1teaspoon salt
    • 1teaspoon pepper
    • Toothpicks

Directions

  • 1If using Homemade Pesto, place basil and pine nuts in food processor. Cover; process a few times with on-and-off pulses. Add garlic; pulse a few times. Slowly add oil in stream while processor is running, stopping to scrape down sides of processor with rubber spatula. Add Parmesan cheese; pulse until blended.
  • 2Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • 3To butterfly each chicken breast, start at long side and cut in half horizontally, cutting almost but not completely through. Open chicken and flatten to resemble butterfly shape.
  • 4Spread 1/4 cup Homemade Pesto onto each chicken breast; top each with 1 slice mozzarella cheese. Wrap chicken around cheese; secure with toothpicks.
  • 5In large bowl, mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with bread crumbs; place in baking dish.
  • 6Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Cut into slices to serve.

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