Caprese Chicken with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

Imagine the classic caprese salad - fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil - transformed into a warm and comforting chicken dinner. I took traditional caprese flavors and deepened them by introducing smoky, fire-roasted tomatoes, sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar, parmesan, and nuggets of creamy, fresh mozzarella. Mind blowing my friends. And it's done in 1 skillet in about 20 minutes. 

If you're looking for a one-pan meal the whole family will adore, look no further. Everything you love and crave is in one pan. Pan seared chicken (that leaves little juicy brown bits on the bottom of the skillet), swimming in a robust, chunky sauce of blackened tomatoes, balsamic, parmesan, basil, garlic, and onion. And you probably already have everything you need in your pantry. That's even more comforting. 

I'm seriously over-the-moon with this dish! In fact, I took a chunk of bread and soaked up every last bit of the sauce. My mouth is watering as I write this... reminiscing about the meal. You need to try it, trust me. 

About the mozzarella cheese: I chose cherry-size balls of fresh mozzarella called ciliegene. You can also use bocconcini (larger balls of mozzarella), burrata (cream- and curd-filled pouches of mozzarella), or chunks of any fresh mozzarella. If you don't have access to fresh cheese, use any mozzarella of choice - just make the dish! 

Caprese Chicken with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes 

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 4-5 ounces each

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella (balls or chunks) or 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

Chopped fresh basil for serving

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, basil, onion powder, and garlic powder to the same pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the parmesan. Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat the low and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Top the chicken and sauce with the mozzarella and basil and serve.

Serves 4