Cheesy Chicken Roulades with Pesto

 This is not your typical chicken breasts, folks. They are pounded thin, then covered with homemade basil pesto and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese slices. Then, after being securely coiled, toothpick-secured, and cooked to fowl perfection, all of that deliciousness. 

The outcome? Pinwheels made of protein that are incredibly flavorful.

Are you ready to roll ? Let's do it..

PREP TIME    COOK TIME   TOTAL TIME

20 mins           20 mins               40 mins

Ingredients

8 chicken breasts **

6 cups packed basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried

4 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for sautéing

24 thin slices mozzarella cheese

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. One chicken breast should be placed between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper and pounded to a thickness of 1/4 inch using a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Use the remaining chicken breasts to repeat the process.

3. Combine the basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and pine nuts in a blender. 15 seconds of pulsing is followed by the addition of the olive oil while the blender is running. Blend the pesto until it is smooth, scraping the sides of the blender as necessary. Add salt and pepper to the pesto after giving it a taste.

4. Each chicken breast should have one side covered with a quarter of the pesto, followed by three slices of mozzarella cheese. Roll each chicken breast up firmly, starting at the shorter end, and fasten it with a toothpick. The roulades' exteriors should be salt and pepper-seasoned.

5. Add two or three teaspoons of olive oil to two big oven-safe skillets that are already heated over medium heat. When the oil is heated, add the roulades and cook them until browned on both sides. When the roulades are fully cooked and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F, place the pans in the preheated oven.

6. The roulades should be taken out of the oven and given five minutes to rest. Sliced and served once the toothpicks are removed. Enjoy!!

** Special Notes **

Use chicken breasts that weigh at least 6 ounces so that you have enough surface area to distribute the pesto once they have been pounded thin.

The spiral you produce will be more consistent the tighter your roulades are rolled.