Hasselback Chicken Breasts
A bit of fancy blade work and a delicious sun dried tomato pesto turn this into a delicious, visually arresting dish.
My Number One Fan ran across this interesting recipe on the Pillsbury website, which is even more interesting because it contains no Pillsbury products in the ingredients whatsoever, just a strong suggestion that you serve it along side Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.
The term "Hasselback" is generally used in tandem with potatoes, a dish that was created in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1940s at the Hasselbacken Restaurant. They are relatively easy to make, requiring a bit of fancy blade work. Hasselback Potatoes are essentially peeled, roasted potatoes that have been cut into very thin slices, without completing the cuts that would separate the potato into individual slices. All the slices stay connected along the bottom of the potato. Melted butter is drizzled into the potato; it's then coated with bread crumbs and roasted so that the exterior is crispy but the center is soft and creamy.
One of the test-kitchen chefs at Pillsbury got the idea of making the same preparation with a boneless, skinless chicken breast. It requires even more fancy blade work because cutting a chicken breast in this manner is more difficult than a potato. So, make sure you have a well sharpened boning knife to do the work for you. A dull blade will be more likely to lead to injury.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
You will need a jar of tomato pesto for this recipe. My Number One Fan found a sun-dried tomato pesto sauce under the brand name Filippo Berio that works very well for this dish.
Probably inspired by an ancient Roman sauce, Moretum, which was made by crushing herbs and olive oil, Pesto as we know it today originated in the 16th Century in Genoa Italy, officially called Pesto alla Genovese, and is made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. The word "pesto" comes from the Italian verb "pertare” meaning "to crush," referring to the traditional method of preparation using a mortar and pestle.
The Italian company Filippo Berio founded in 1867 for its olive oil, makes jarred pestos that are every bit as good as what you might be able to make homemade, launched in 2017, that included the one you'll need for this recipe, a Sicilian Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. It is made with cashews instead of the traditional pine nuts, giving it a distinct, buttery flavor.
Hasselback Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 6.7-oz jar sun-dried tomato pesto sauce (like, Filippo Berio)
- 1 6-oz jar or can of sliced mushrooms, drained (like Green Giant)
- 4 large slices of non-smoked Provolone cheese, cut into strips (like, Boar's Head)
- 20 coin-size slices of salami, cut into halves (like, Boar's Head Sliced Hard Salami)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 grinds freshly ground black pepper per chicken breast
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Coat the bottom of an 11" x 7" Pyrex baking dish with the non-stick spray, and then put down a couple of tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato pesto and smear it all around. Lay out all the mushrooms in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Holding the chicken breast with a paper towel for stability, use a sharp boning knife to make slices on the top of the chicken breast perpendicular to the length of the breast, slicing almost, but not all the way through to the bottom. Repeat these slices about 3/4" apart. Depending on the size of the chicken breast, you'll get seven to eight slices, or pockets.
- Spread 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato pesto over the tops of each breast, being sure to also coat the inside of the pockets.
- Put equal amounts of the Provolone cheese and salami into all of the chicken breast pockets. Coat the tops of the chicken breast with the remaining pesto.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until the chicken is done and the cheese is bubbly. For best results, use a meat thermometer and remove from the oven when the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 155°F.
