Tomato Basil Chicken

This is a recipe that I really enjoyed at home and decided to try to make in my dorm.  It requires relatively few ingredients and is very simple to assemble.  I changed the recipe a bit to make it simpler for fewer servings; initially, it would have yielded about 6 servings.


When I made this, I used 3 2-cup glass containers so that I could have maximum flexibility about when I ate each portion and whether I froze any portions.  I bought two chicken breasts and cut them both into two pieces: one 2/3 of the chicken breast and the other the remaining 1/3.  Then two of the bowls contained one piece of chicken and the last bowl contained two smaller pieces.  This worked out great for me; each was just the size I needed for a good portion.

The ingredients required of this dish also work well for life in the dorm because they are either used up or easily used in other dishes.  Basil and garlic are probably my most used spices.  The leftover tomato can provide extra slices for sandwiches or something else.  And finally, the remaining mozzarella sticks make for a great snack; this is what they were sold for in the first place.

Assemble chicken and spices.

Top with tomato, either sliced or diced.

Next, top with cheese.  I used mozzarella sticks and cut them in half lengthwise and widthwise.

Time for them to bake!

All done!  Look at that yummy melted cheese.

Tomato Basil Chicken


Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tomato, sliced
feta or mozzarella cheese


Tools:
oven-safe baking dish(es)
knife
kitchen scissors (optional, but useful for cutting the chicken)
1/2 and 1/4 teaspoons
potholder


Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Cut excess fat off of chicken and then cut chicken into appropriate portions.
3.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon basil over the bottom of the baking dish.
4.  Arrange chicken in dish and sprinkle salt, red pepper, garlic, and the remaining 1 teaspoon basil over the chicken.
5.  Top each piece of chicken with a slice of tomato and some cheese.
6.  Bake covered for 25 minutes.  Remove cover, and continue baking 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.  (If you cannot cover the chicken, don't worry about it; mine still turned out fine.)


Notes:
+  Tomato could be diced instead of sliced.  If the slices don't turn out well, just dice them.
+  Feta cheese can be bought in a block or as crumbles.  Buying it in a block is generally a much better deal.
+  Mozzarella can be bought as snack sticks, in a block, or in thick slices from the deli.  The snack sticks are a bit tough when melted, so next time I am going to try getting some from the deli.