Caprese Chicken

It's Monday, again! I know what you are feeling, coming home from a long day at work and you are too exhausted to cook something decent for your family. Trust me, I have been in your shoes. Probably going to go get take out, which is not easy on your wallet. Here is something that you would want to give a try and keep you from hitting that drive thru, Caprese Chicken! It's cheap, easy, and can be made within matter of minutes. Yes, I said minutes. It only takes 30 minutes to make! You and your family will not regret this dish. It is definitely worth saving a penny and your time.


When I was thinking of a dish that I can make in a quick amount of time, I thought of something that  I can make in less than 30 minutes. Of course I thought of something Italian. It is without a doubt that Italian is the easiest and sometimes the quickest to make. I needed something to make in a hurry so I can spend my time with the ones that I love. So I looked at the ingredients that I already had in my pantry and had an idea. Most of everyone has pasta noodles in their pantry and a few produce items right? All I needed was a few more ingredients to get that was easy on my wallet. I didn't want spaghetti, I have that all the time. I wanted something out of the ordinary, something caprese, Caprese Chicken? It's a variation from Caprese Salad, which is made of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. So I took those ingredients and put them on top of chicken and turned it into a pasta. Winner winner, chicken dinner! I think so.

Here's the recipe:

Total prep time: 5 minutes Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

4 chicken breast fillets
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of butter
1 beefsteak tomato (sliced)
mozzarella cheese (sliced)
2 tsp Basil leaves (chopped)
2 tsp Parsley (chopped)
1 tsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 lemon (juiced)
2 tsp of feta cheese (optional)
2 tsp of grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tsp of mint leaves (chopped) (optional)
1 box of linguine
salt and pepper to taste

The first thing I did was get my non stick skillet out, put 1 tbsp of olive oil and turn my stove on to medium high. Seasoned my chicken breast fillets and seasoned them well with salt and pepper. Put my chicken in and seared it for at least 6 - 8 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, while I was cooking my chicken, grabbed my 5 quart pot and filled it with water, threw in about 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring it to a full boil.  After that, I got my cutting board out and started slicing and dicing my tomato, basil, parsley, and mint.

After slicing and dicing away, went back to my chicken and turned it over, placed 2 tbsp of butter in and seared for another 6 more minutes. While my chicken was finishing up on searing, poured 1 box of linguine noodles in the boiling pot of water, and boiled it for about 8 -10 minutes or until al dente (to the tooth) or as I should say tender. Went back to my chicken and turned down the heat to medium low. Poured in 1 cup of my chicken broth and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. *I thought that the cream would give a little decadence to the dish, but it's totally optional if you don't want it. Tossed in 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp of minced garlic. Placed mozzarella cheese slices and sliced tomatoes on top, salted and peppered them. Threw in the chopped basil,parsley, juice of one lemon, 1 tsp of mint, 2 tsp of feta cheese, and parmesan. *The mint, feta, and parmesan is totally optional. But if you choose to use these ingredients, it just gives the dish that much more flavor. Then put the lid on and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Once the chicken was done, took it out of the skillet and placed it on a plate. Took my cooked pasta, drained it, poured it in the skillet and tossed it in with the sauce. Took the rest of the sliced tomatoes and diced them, tossed it in with the pasta.

There you have it! Caprese Chicken! This dish is totally worth your time and your money. It's definitely a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.

Now take a bite and Enjoy!

Happy Monday!