Easy Chicken Roll ups

Or...otherwise known (in my mind) as Chicken Caprese

I just love the combination of tomato, fresh basil, and mozzarella.

This recipe combines all of the flavors melted into a nice gooey mess inside of a chicken breast.

Deliciousness that is SO easy to make.

Chicken.  Boneless chicken breasts or cutlets are what you'll need.

I take the regular chicken breasts and slice them horizontally in 2 or 3 fillets.

Thinner chicken cooks faster, tastes better, and gives you more roll ups!

And it's all about quantity here. And quality.

Here's my yummy little secret. I was going to say my dirty little secret, but that doesn't really apply to food.

String cheese!  I didn't have any mozzarella because we done gone ate it all up the night before with roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and vinaigrette. (but that's for another post) but you can use fresh mozz if you want to go all gourmet on me.

Really, you can use any cheese you have. I am all about substituting.

Maters. You need tamaters. Doesn't matter what shape they are, just chop them small enough to fit inside.

Basil.  I'm so excited that I haven't killed this plant yet! It's hanging on and growing.  That's success.

If you don't have fresh, use dried, or italian seasoning. Substitute!

You need some kind of bacon. You really do. But again, you can make this recipe without it. It just adds that extra something.

Turkey and beef bacons (can that be plural?) are staples in our house so I usually buy a few packages and throw them in the freezer.

Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper and a dash of garlic powder.

Place a tomato, a piece of cheese, and a basil leaf in the middle.

and roll it up. I like to just roll it up and place the seam side down, no toothpicks involved.

I hate losing them and biting into a toothpick.

Not good.

Oh. I almost forgot the all important bacon. You can choose to wrap the entire chicken with bacon or you can be a cheater (like me) and just drape a third of a piece over the top.

Wrapped goodness.

Sprinkle with some more salt and pepper and a bit of parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.

I also added a little broth to the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30ish minutes. So precise, I know.

The flavors meld and melt while cooking and the bacon gives it a nice smokey flavor.

Lip smacking good.

This is a do-able after work recipe that you can just throw together. While it's in the oven, you can cook some pasta and veggies and put together a salad and you have a great home cooked meal in less than 30 minutes.

Easy Chicken Roll ups

Chicken

Cheese

Basil

Tomatoes

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Powder

Pecorino Romano (Parmesan) Cheese

Broth

Bacon

Slice chicken into fillets. Season with S&P. Add cheese, tomato, and basil. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Season with S&P and romano cheese.  Cover each roll up with bacon. Add broth to the pan and bake at 375 degrees (F) for 20-30 minutes till done.

Make as much or as little as you need. My kind of recipe.

Enjoy,

The Lunch lady