I used to love watching Rachel Ray’s “30 Minute Meals” on Food Network back in the day, but I could never understand why she was always in such a hurry to get dinner on the table! I mean, she is a professional chef, so shouldn’t she always be making fancy, complex 3-course meals and thinking up new and exciting ideas to try out in the kitchen?? That’s what I would do!

Well… no, it isn’t, because… life. I’ve been out of town for the last two weekends, and during the weekdays when I’ve actually been in the state, I’ve been running around from event to event because the end of spring is a VERY busy time for attorneys who are active in the legal community. Hence, this 30-minute meal. Shout out to my bestie, Andrea, who lives allllll the way in Italy – she posted a rendition of this dish, and I couldn’t wait to make it! So here it is!

Easy as pie. Brown your chicken. You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Honestly, the only reason I chose not to use thighs is because I had just cooked them the week before. But in my personal opinion – USE THIGHS.

Chop yourself some ingredients (basil – LOTS of basil), and choose a simple side to serve with the chicken. I decided on fresh green beans.

You’ll be removing the chicken from the pan in order to make your glaze. Cherry tomatoes, basil, shallots, garlic, balsamic vinegar… mmmmmmm.

Throw that chicken back in.

Meanwhile, I got the green beans going. Saute those in some olive oil with minced garlic, shallots, and a bit of balsamic to marry it well with the chicken glaze.

Top the chicken with cheese, and finish it with extra basil!

Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken

This recipe is inspired by Joyful Healthy Eats’ “Balsamic Glazed Chicken,” which can be found here: http://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/balsamic-glazed-caprese-chicken/

Ingredients:

5 thin-cut chicken breasts (or boneless, skinless chicken thighs)

2 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbs honey

5 slices fresh mozzarella

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup fresh basil, sliced thinly

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions: 

1. Season chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and cook the chicken breasts for 5-7 mins on each side or until golden brown, watching carefully to avoid overcooking them. Remove them from the pan, and set them aside.
3. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan, and cook for two minutes.
4. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and honey, scraping the brown bits from the chicken off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the sliced basil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the chicken back into the pan. Spoon the glaze over the chicken. Place one slice of mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken, and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the mozzarella melts. Garnish with extra basil strips or whole leaves.