Chicken Pesto Bake

Hello again! How is your week going so far? Is it busy, full of tasks and to-dos, or are you enjoying a more care-free summer right now? I hope that either way, you are enjoying it to the fullest! We all have the capacity to create our own happiness.

Whether you’re busy or not, a quick, easy recipe is always a good thing. And this one has some elements that you can customize as well, though I’ll be sharing my favorite way to make it. Let me introduce the Chicken Pesto Bake! I paired this delicious dish with quinoa and roasted asparagus to really round it out.

I also tried out a new app called Flipagram to make a fun little video about this recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments! I can always use this service to make more if you find it handy!

When it comes to chicken, I try to buy organic. After watching films like Food, Inc. and seeing the conditions these animals live in and the drugs they are fed, regular chicken sort of grosses me out. Those extra large breasts that you see at the grocery store? That poor thing was pumped full of hormones so that the chicken doesn’t even resemble what it’s supposed to look like and could barely stand. If you’re able, you should try to buy organic. It’s better for you, for the chicken, and for the environment.

Let’s get back to the fun stuff. To make this dish a little more interesting, I used tricolor quinoa that I found at Sprout’s Farmer’s Market and an artichoke lemon pesto. But, you can use regular quinoa and a traditional basil pesto and it will still come out perfect! Make sure to let the chicken have that 5 minutes under the broiler for that perfect golden brown cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Bake

Print Recipe

• Author: Samantha Elaine
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
• 5 ounces pesto sauce*
• 1 roma tomato, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*
• 1 lb asparagus
• Grapeseed oil spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare quinoa according to package directions or in a rice cooker. Set aside.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with grapeseed oil. Place chicken breasts on one sheet. Spread pesto over the tops of them. Place sliced tomatoes over the pesto, and top everything with cheese. Place in oven and let chicken cook for about 35 minutes.
3. After placing chicken in the oven, trim the woody ends off the asparagus by cutting off the bottom third. Spray second baking sheet with oil and spread asparagus spears out on top. Season with salt and pepper, and spritz with more spray. Add asparagus to oven; it will need about 20 minutes.
4. Remove asparagus from oven. Change oven over to broiler and put on high heat. Let chicken breasts brown under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with asparagus and quinoa.

Notes

*To make this dish lactose-free, use vegan or dairy-free pesto and cheese.

I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I do! Comments, questions, concerns? Leave them in the comments below or contact directly at me@samanthaelaine.net.

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