Pesto Baked Chicken & Green Bean Risotto
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 large bunch of fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp. pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea or himalayan pink salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
FOR THE RISOTTO
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tsp. garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 cup uncooked arborio rice or whole grain brown rice
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups no-sodium or reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 12 oz. steam-in-bag fresh green beans (frozen is fine as well)
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • Sea or himalayan pink salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN
  1. To make the pesto, start by chopping off the rough stems of the bunch of cilantro.
  2. Add the whole garlic cloves to a food processor and chop very finely. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Add the cilantro, pine nuts and parmesan cheese and process thoroughly. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Stream in the olive oil to achieve the desired consistency (thin enough to spread, but not so thin that the oil over powers the pesto). This makes approximately 1 cup of pesto. Set aside.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  6. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  7. Trim chicken of all visible fat.
  8. Spread ½ of the pesto in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the chicken on top of the pesto and then top with remaining pesto.
  9. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken cooked through with no visible pink and juices run clear. Remove dish from the oven and switch the oven to broil.
  10. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese and return the dish to the oven.
  11. Cook for an additional 5 minutes (or less) or until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown. Watch this process closely as it can burn quickly.
FOR THE RISOTTO
  1. While the chicken dish is in the oven, heat a 3 or 4 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and once hot, add the onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
  2. While the onion is cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in another saucepan.
  3. Add the wine to the first saucepan. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add a ladle of stock to the rice.
  4. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1 ladle-full increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This will also help to break down the rice and give it that creamy consistency. More stirring = creamier risotto.
  5. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a ladle-full of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed.
  6. Place the green beans in the microwave and follow package instructions to cook. Set aside.
  7. Once the rice is tender and creamy & most of the broth has been been used (about 25 minutes unless using whole grain brown rice in place of the arborio, which takes longer to cook), gently stir in the parmesan cheese and the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe by Becky's Best Bites at https://beckysbestbites.com/pesto-baked-chicken-green-bean-risotto/