We were snuggled up in Big Bear with some friends & our pups & decided to make this very tasty Snowfall Chicken Parmesan —>
The “secret sauce” in this is mind-blowingly good. The sun-dried pesto sauce itself would be amazing as a spread for baked bread.
SWEETJAMZ SNOWFALL CHICKEN PARM (Recipe download here —> sweetjamz-snowfall-chicken-parm
INGREDIENTS:
4-5 THIN chicken breasts
1 tablespoon + olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup chopped onions
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon EACH Italian seasoning AND red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper + ¼ cup water
4 slices mozzarella cheese (or 1 cup shredded)
Sun-dried tomato pesto ingredients:
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I prefer NOT in oil)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoons salt + 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pinch red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional:
chopped parsley or basil for garnish
pasta
DIRECTIONS:
– Boil water & cook pasta according to package
– Begin “Secret Sauce:”
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor (NOT an old blender) except the olive oil. Start the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil slowly while still mixing. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and adjust salt & pepper to liking.
– For Chicken:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Add salt & peppered chicken to pan. Cook until no longer pink, flipping once. (Note, totally overcooked our chicken due to the pieces being so thick – thin pieces are the ultimate way to go here.)
– Preheat the oven on the broiler setting
– Finish tomato sauce:
Sauté’ the onions in a pan on medium heat until soft. Add garlic & let cook 1-3 minutes (enjoy the aroma).
Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, dried basil, & entire pesto mixture (note, the original recipe only asked for 1 Tbsp. of pesto mixture – we used it all & it was a dream.) Stir to combine. When the sauce reaches a simmer, add a ¼ cup of water, lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
– Official assembly:
Place chicken on top of pasta, top with a spoonful of sauce & then mozzarella.
Broil 1-2 minutes until cheese is bubbly & just melts. Add additional sauce on sides if desired.
– Garnish with chopped parsley or basil.
Voila! You’ve got yourself another SWEETJAMZ.
This recipe was inspired by Littlespicejar.com
Featured wine: Whalebone Winery – Bob Wine 2011
❤
julie
SweetJamz 