This is called Italian Flag Chicken because the colors of the Italian flag are red, white, and green, just like the ingredients in this dish. The real shocker, of course, is that I made it without any garlic!
I love this recipe because it's fancy enough to serve for a special dinner but it's so simple - just five ingredients outside of what should be your pantry staples--salt, pepper, and olive oil.
First, mix together some feta cheese and pesto.
Get one chicken breast per person, and make a slit in the side of each one. Using a sharp knife, create a pocket in the middle. Stuff the inside of each chicken breast with a generous amount of the feta cheese & pesto mixture.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper as desired, and top with thin slices of tomato, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Another great thing about this dish is that everything up to this point can be done ahead of time. Assemble your chicken, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and stick it in the refrigerator until dinner time. Then simply whip out your fancy chicken dish, toss it in the oven, and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Effortless entertaining!
If you really want to get fancy, you can serve the chicken with a mushroom and sun-dried tomato risotto and sauteed green beans.Italian Flag Chicken (Serves 4)
4 chicken breasts
1/2 to 3/4 cup feta cheese
4 heaping tablespoons pesto
one large tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
Cut slits in the side of each breast and make a pocket in the middle. Combine the feta cheese and pesto (adding more of each to achieve desired strength), and stuff each chicken breast with the mixture. Arrange chicken in baking dish, season with salt and pepper. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, thinly sliced tomato, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.
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