It’s date night!! This recipe is perfect for impressing your sweety, but it is also easy enough for a casual weeknight dinner. I love to make this recipe on special occasions though, like date night…and no need to go to a fancy restaurant. My husband thinks I spent hours making it (which I let him believe, it makes him love it even more). So get dressed up hubby, dinner is my treat tonight!
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Red Bell Pepper
12 Spinach Leaves
12 Slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
4 Slices of Wheat Bread
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt
2 Tbs Garlic Powder
2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tbs Salt
1/2 Tbs Pepper
1 Tbs Canola Oil
First we need to make the breadcrumbs. If you prefer you can use store bought, but I love making my own…it’s so easy and you can add your own FLAVOR! Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the bread into quarters and drizzle both sides with canola oil and half of the garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for about 10 minutes, flip halfway through. I love smelling the seasoning as it starts to cook, it smells amazing! Once the bread has cooled, place in a food processor and pulse until it becomes fine breadcrumbs. Pour onto a plate and put aside.
Next trim the top off of the red pepper and cut in half. Empty the pulp and seeds from the inside. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with canola oil. Roast for 20 minutes until the pepper is blistered, flip halfway through. Trust me, if you have never tried roasting a pepper it is so worth it. It enhances the FLAVOR tremendously. Once it’s done, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. This will steam the pepper so you can remove the skin. Carefully peel off the skin, but do not run under water, it will rinse off all of the FLAVOR (you don’t want all that hard work to go right down the drain). It should peel right off, don’t worry about getting off every little bit. Cut into medium sized pieces.
Drop the oven temperature to 400°. Take the chicken and trim off any fat. Then cut the chicken into two pieces by placing your hand on top of the chicken and carefully slice the middle from top to bottom. If it is easier, you can pound the chicken instead. Just place in between plastic wrap and pound until thin (I have to admit this way is more fun, it gets out all that aggression).
Line a baking sheet with foil. I like to place a cookie cooling rack on top of the pan to lay the chicken on. This will let the heat circulate around the chicken and prevent the bottom from getting soggy (no one likes a soggy bottom 😉 ). Season both sides of chicken with the rest of the seasoning. Then brush both sides with Greek yogurt and dip into the breadcrumbs. Place each piece of chicken on the cooling rack. Bake for 20 minutes.
In the meantime cut the mozzarella into thin slices. Once the chicken is ready, pull the pan out of the oven and place a few spinach leaves on top of each piece of chicken. Then place a piece or two of red pepper and top with the mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted. Keep a close eye on it, they go very fast! Let cool and serve.
Happy Flavoring!
HAPPY FLAVORING 