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Chicken Pesto Caprese Sandwich

chicken pesto caprese sandwich
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Warm, toasty bread, juicy chicken and tomatoes, and creamy, melty mozzarella accented by Italian seasoning and buttery pesto – all the ingredients of the perfect caprese chicken sandwich!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 pound)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • salt (to taste)
  • freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 4 ciabatta rolls (sliced in half horizontally)
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (divided, optional)
  • cup pesto (divided)
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella (sliced)
  • 4 Roma tomatoes (sliced)
  • avocado oil

Instructions

  1. Place 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts on cutting board. Use sharp knife to slice chicken breasts horizontally to create 4 evenly-sized chicken cutlets. If needed, pound thicker areas with tenderizer or rolling pin until cutlets are evenly thick all over.
  2. Generously sprinkle 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper on all sides of chicken cutlets, coating chicken well. Set aside.
  3. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and swirl pan to distribute oil across entire surface. Continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
  4. When oil is hot, place seasoned chicken cutlets in skillet. Sear chicken 3 to 5 minutes, then flip each cutlet over. Sear chicken 3 to 5 minutes more, until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit.
  5. Once chicken reaches target temperature, carefully transfer cutlets to large plate and set aside.
  6. Place halved ciabatta rolls in skillet with inside of rolls facing down. Work in batches as needed depending on size of skillet. Toast ciabatta rolls 1 to 2 minutes, just until rolls are lightly golden. Remove toasted rolls from skillet and repeat with any remaining rolls.
  7. Set toasted rolls aside. Keep skillet warm over medium heat.
  8. Place ciabatta rolls on cutting board, with insides of rolls facing up.
  9. Cover one ciabatta roll half per sandwich with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, using 4 tablespoons mayonnaise total. Spread mayonnaise out to cover entire surface of rolls.
  10. Cover other ciabatta roll half per sandwich with 1 ¼ tablespoons pesto, using cup pesto total. Spread pesto out to cover entire surface of rolls.
  11. Place one cutlet on top of each ciabatta half coated in mayonnaise.
  12. Place 1 ½ ounces of sliced mozzarella on top of each chicken cutlet, using 6 ounces fresh mozzarella total.
  13. Place tomato slices on top of mozzarella, using 1 Roma tomato per sandwich (4 Roma tomatoes total).
  14. Top sandwich with ciabatta halves covered in pesto, so that pesto is on inside of sandwich.
  15. Lightly brush avocado oil on top of sandwiches. Place sandwiches in skillet with avocado oil facing down.
  16. Cook each sandwich 2 minutes, then flip sandwiches over and cook 2 minutes more, until mozzarella is melted and sandwiches are warmed through. Remove sandwiches from skillet and serve immediately.

Nutrition

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