Sometimes a cookbook’s cover grabs my attention strictly because of a gorgeous photograph of mouthwatering food. This time, though, it wasn’t the photo of cheesy pasta with greens that caught my eye. Instead, it was the title — Keeping It Simple: Easy Weeknight One-Pot Recipes. Yes, the words “simple,” “easy,” and “one-pot” convinced me to crack this cookbook open.
My family especially enjoys Italian dishes, so I thought I’d try author Yasmin Fahr’s “Mozzarella-Topped Chicken Cutlets” recipe. She describes it as a desconstructed chicken parmigiana, without breadcrumbs. Instead of serving it with pasta, all of the ingredients bake, then broil in the oven with cannellini beans. If you find you’ve broiled the mozzarella-topped chicken just a tad too long, like I did, don’t worry — it still will be delicious!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise to form 4 thin cutlets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces grated or sliced mozzarella
- Fresh basil (I used dried Italian seasoning instead)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set two racks in the oven, one in the middle and the other 6 inches from the broiler.
- Toss the tomatoes, beans, garlic, onion, chili flakes, oregano, chicken, olive oil and salt and pepper on a sheet pan, coating them well and spreading them out evenly.
- Roast on the middle rack until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes are starting to burst, about 10 minutes. The chicken should be opaque on the top — if you see any bits of raw chicken or pink-ish hues, put it back in for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn on the broiler. Stir the ingredients around a little and place a chunk of mozzarella on each piece of chicken, then scatter the rest of the cheese over the other ingredients. Place under the broiler until cheese is bubbly and just browned, about 1-3 minutes, depending on the ferocity of your broiler. Top with basil, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.
Other recipes include Go-To Weeknight Pizza, Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs, Adult Instant Ramen Soup, 30-Minute Green Chicken Chili, Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Garlicky Charred Greens with Whole Wheat Penne.
Keeping It Simple: Easy Weeknight One-Pot Recipes is available for request here or by calling Whitehall Public Library at 412-882-6622.
