Roasted Chicken with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

I really love sun-dried tomatoes.  There is something about the sweetness and that concentrated tomato flavor that I just really enjoy.  So, I had some chicken that I had to do something with.  When we lived in El Paso, we went to an expensive restaurant called Cafe Central and I ordered the chicken.  It was delicious, but I remember thinking, "I could so make something like this."  This is my version of that dish, and may I say, it was moist and very flavorful and did not disappoint. Of course, I added my twist.  It was so easy too! Here it is!


ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO


INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large chicken breasts (bone in and skin on)
• 1 cup sun-dried tomato pesto, divided (my was Trader Joes, but could use sundried tomatoes in oil diced fine)
• Poultry seasoning
• fresh cracked pepper
• drizzle of EVOO
• 1/2 c. feta

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Rinse chicken and pat dry and place in baking dish. Mix feta with 1/4 c. of sundried tomato pesto.  Gently slice breast about halfway through and stuff 1/3 of the feta mix inside.  GENTLY, with a finger, separate the skin from the breast.  Take some pesto and with finger shove down under skin.  Then slather on top of skin as well.  Use 1/4c. for each breast (roughly), dividing between under and on top of the skin.  Repeat with each breast (I didn't stuff the kids breast).  Sprinkle with seasoning salt (I used bucks), some fresh black pepper and a drizzle of EVOO over top of each breast. (This all took about 10-15 min at most).  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour uncovered.  (can slice to make sure it is done).  After removing from oven, let rest for 10 minutes and slice off bone.  This will yield lots of juice.  Drizzle chicken with juices after on the plate.  Serve with pasta or cous-cous. 










EXTRA RECIPE:


Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Use tiny cooked pasta or cous-cous and mix with some sun-dried tomato pesto.  I minced a few sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and drizzled the pastina with the oil from the jar, good sprinkle of garlic and a handful of parm. cheese.  I had leftover pastina, but was going to do the same with cous-cous.  Serve the chicken over it!  So simple!