Between my garden & our CSA membership, we have about 12 pounds of tomatoes a week to find a way to use before they go bad. That’s not too much of a hardship for us.  Gilbert claims most of the cherry tomatoes, having them for snacks throughout the week.  The bulk of the tomatoes that I am bringing home are seconds from the CSA that I am using to make sauce with, adding in roasted sweet peppers (also from the CSA) and some roasted garlic (from another local farm).

While most of the remaining tomatoes are showing up in salads, some of them have a higher calling. They become an integral part of our main dishes. This chicken dish is a prime example. Tomatoes are the primary ingredient used in the filling for the chicken rolls. Add in a little mozzarella, basil and a balsamic vinegar sauce and you have a caprese salad wrapped in thin pieces of chicken. Delizioso!

Bruschetta Stuffed Balsamic Chicken

Bruschetta Stuffed Balsamic Chicken (adapted from diethood.com)

Serves 4, Time required: 1 hour, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (about 2 cups) tomatoes, diced (and seeded, if desired)
• 1/3-cup packed fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds 
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the fresh basil. Stir just until combined, then set it aside.

Gently combine the chopped tomatoes & basil with the mozzarella.

In a medium bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, garlic, oregano, basil & parsley. Whisk it all together until thoroughly combined. Set the balsamic sauce aside.

Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the prepared tomato mixture over each chicken breast. Roll up the chicken breasts, wrapping them tightly, and secure the ends with toothpicks.

Roll the pounded chicken around some of the tomato filling.

Heat the olive oil in a stovetop and oven safe large skillet.

Add the rolled chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook them over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the heat.

Brown the chicken rolls on all sides.

Spoon any extra tomato mixture over the chicken, then pour the balsamic sauce over the chicken & extra tomato filling. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, turn the chicken over, and return it to the oven for 15 more minutes.

Add the rest of the tomato filling & the balsamic sauce to the skillet.

Take the skillet out of the oven once more and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over it all, then continue to bake it for 5 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes before slicing each breast into 2 servings. Plate into 4 servings with some of the extra tomato filling and sauce on each plate.

Tomatoes are the star of this dish!

I am thankful to still be enjoying tomatoes!  ~Linda

Bruschetta Stuffed Balsamic Chicken (adapted from diethood.com)

Serves 4, Time required: 1 hour, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (about 2 cups) tomatoes, diced (and seeded, if desired)
• 1/3-cup packed fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds 
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the fresh basil. Stir just until combined, then set it aside.

In a medium bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, garlic, oregano, basil & parsley. Whisk it all together until thoroughly combined. Set the balsamic sauce aside.

Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Spoon some of the prepared tomato mixture over each chicken breast. Roll up the chicken breasts, wrapping them tightly, and secure the ends with toothpicks.

Heat the olive oil in a stovetop and oven safe large skillet. Add the rolled chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook them over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the heat.

Spoon any extra tomato mixture over the chicken, pour the balsamic sauce over the chicken & extra tomato filling. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, turn the chicken over, and return it to oven for 15 more minutes. Take the skillet from the oven once more and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over it all, then continue to bake it for 5 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes before slicing each breast into 2 servings. Plate into 4 servings with some of the extra tomato filling and balsamic sauce on each plate.