Pesto Cream Chicken

I love a good jarred pesto. There are so many ways you can use it!

In this recipe you can either take the “healthier” route by cutting out the carbs and integrating some greens into this dish. Obviously, we have established that my oldest child refuses to eat anything that is green, so this couldn’t completely work.

So for those who are not into the whole greens thing or have a picky eater, serve this pesto cream sauce over some pasta and it is just as darn good!

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless, chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bunches Swiss chard
• 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• juice of half lemon
• 1 cup mixed-color cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto

Instructions

1. Prepare the chard by cutting the leaves away from the stalks and then discard the stalk. Tear the leaves into pieces and set the aside.
2. With a sharp knife, carefully slice each breast in half horizontally, so you end up with a total of 4 thinner cutlets. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cutlets and cook through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to the plate.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil and butter, then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the chard and cook, stirring until lightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the chard to a large serving platter or individual plates and squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
7. Without cleaning the skillet, heat the heavy cream over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the pesto and stir the sauce. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the sauce. Bring it to a simmer and let it thicken for about 3 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust for seasoning.
8. Arrange the chicken over the chard and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the tomato halves over the top.

Pesto cream chicken

Prepare some Swiss chard by cutting the leaves away from the stalks and discarding the stalks. Tear the leaves into pieces and set the chard aside.

Thinly slice a red onion that has been halved. With a sharp knife, carefully slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat some butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 of the chicken cutlets and cook through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Remove to a clean plate, adding 1 more tablespoon of both butter and olive oil to the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook until onions are soft to 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the chard to the pan with the onions and cook, stirring until lightly wilted about 2 minutes. Season with some salt and pepper.

Remove to a plate and squeeze some lemon juice over the top.

Add some heavy cream to the same skillet and allow to heat for a minute. Add the prepared pesto.

Add the chicken back to the pan, nestling it into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken.

To serve: place some of the chard on a plate, arrange the chicken on top of the chard, and drizzle the sauce over the chicken.

Sprinkle the tomato halves over the top of the chicken.

Or, if you are not into the whole chard thing, serving the pesto chicken over pasta is just as good!