you're doin' this, caprese?

Surprisingly, when I made marinara the other day, I was sort of at a loss to what I wanted to do with it. Sure, I could do the pasta route or have it with some ravioli, but that didn't seem grand enough for what I had envisioned when I made this sauce.

What to do?

I flipped through a bunch of my cookbooks and decided that I wanted chicken as my main protein. I love chicken. It's easy, versatile, and an ingredient that I was comfortable experimenting with. Then, since I was working with a sauce that was Italian-themed, it made sense to base the ingredients off of classic Italian flavors.

So, I thought i'd do a play on caprese salad. But, instead of serving it as a starter, I thought I'd stuff it in the chicken. Mozzarella, basil, and tomato . . . perfect! I decided to also top the chicken with some oregano-spiced panko to add some interest. Paired with the marinara sauce, this was a killer dish!

As a side, I made ratatouille on the fly, garlic butter pasta for the hubby, and soft polenta for me. I am such a glutton for punishment! It was like having a chicken with it's head chopped off . . . a mad rush from one spot to the other. On hindsight, this turned out to be heavier than I expected, so I'd probably cut out the ratatouille next time. All in all, not too bad. :)

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Stuffed Chicken Caprese with Marinara Sauce
(Makes 2 servings)

2 skinless boneless chicken thighs
2 slices fresh mozzarella
3 leaves basil, julienned
2 pcs sun-dried tomato, chopped
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup marinara sauce
chopped parsley, for garnish

 
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Combine panko breadcrumbs and dried oregano then set aside.

Drizzle chicken with some olive oil then season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, to taste. Transfer chicken to a lightly sprayed, foil-lined baking pan, top-side down. Place a slice of mozzarella on a chicken then top with half the basil and sun-dried tomato. Fold the meat over, tucking securely under to make sure stuffing is mostly covered and repeat for the remaining thigh. Top with panko mixture until evenly distributed.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on a bed of marinara sauce and garnish with parsley.