Delicious Crispy Pesto Parmesan Chicken Recipe For Dinner - Guide Recipe
My all time favorite dressing is Old Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad dressing. I've made my own copycat version so I can enjoy it at home all the time. It is definitely a family favorite. Not only do I dress my salad with it but I use it the same way you'd use ranch , for example , to dip fries or pizza in or to drizzle over baked potatoes. When I serve it alongside a breaded chicken I always end up dipping my chicken in it too. That is why I decided just to create a recipe that incorporated it right in from the start rather than just dipping it. This is similar to a baked ranch chicken only with a Pesto salad dressing and some Parmesan instead of ranch dressing. Technically it should probably be called Crispy Pesto Dressing Parmesan Chicken (because it doesn't use pesto , but rather pesto dressing) but that's far to long so I went with the shorter version.
This chicken is so flavorful and delicious! I love the flavor of basil and it works wonders to this chicken. And that perfectly golden , crispy bread crumb coating that you get to sink your teeth into is incredible. Spaghetti Factory should consider adding it to their menu =). I love this as it is but I think sometime in the future I may even try it with a little bit of lemon zest. Enjoy!
Crispy Pesto Parmesan Chicken
Yields 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese , divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder , divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup dry white bread crumbs
1/8 tsp onion powder
Olive oil cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 13x9 baking dish. In a shallow bowl , whisk together mayonnaise , buttermilk , dried basil , 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese , 1/8 tsp garlic powder and season with salt and pepper to taste , set aside. In a separate shallow bowl , whisk together Panko bread crumbs , dry white bread crumbs , remaining 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese , onion powder , 1/8 tsp garlic powder then season bread crumb mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken in basil (pesto) dressing mixture and coat both sides , then dip in bread crumb mixture and coat both sides (I'd recommend giving a generous dipping in each). Align coated chicken breast halves in a single layer on baking dish. Spray tops of chicken breast halves evenly with olive oil cooking spray. Bake chicken in preheated oven 30-35 minutes until cooked through (I wanted mine nice and golden so I moved the oven rack up a bit during the last minute of baking and broiled them. If you do this don't walk away from them , watch them constantly to prevent over browning). Serve warm.
Recipe Cooking Classy