The Chicken Pesto Crustini Appetizer takes about twenty minutes to prepare. Using a store made pesto from the refrigerated section of your grocery store will save a lot of time and still provide the fresh taste your dinner party guests will crave.
Things You’ll Need
- French Bread
- Olive Oil
- Chicken Breast
- Pesto Sauce
- Non-stick Cooking Spray
- Oven
- Skillet
- Large Bowl
- Baking Sheet
Cooking the Chicken Breast
- Turn a burner on your stove to medium heat.
- Spray the skillet with a non-stick cooking spray
- Place the chicken breast in the skillet
- Allow the chicken breast to cook for 7 to 10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. If you are using chicken tenders the cooking time will be 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
- After removing the chicken breast from the skillet, allow it to rest for several minutes before slicing into it. This will allow the juices in the chicken to settle before you slice.
Making the Crustini
- Place your oven to the broil setting.
- Slice the French bread into thin rounds. One loaf of French bread will produce 20 to 30 rounds.
- Place the French bread rounds in the large bowl.
- Pour a healthy amount of olive oil into the large bowl.
- Toss the French bread rounds so that they are well covered with olive oil.
- Put your French bread rounds in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t wander too far away because at that temperature, the French bread rounds brown very quickly. Pull them out of the oven when they reach a nice medium brown.
Assembling your Chicken Pesto Crustini Appetizers
- Spoon a small amount of your fresh pesto onto each French bread round.
- Slice a small amount of chicken and place it on top of the pesto. Voila, your Chicken Pesto Crustini Appetizer is now ready to serve. One large breast, one small container of pesto and one loaf of French bread will produce 20 to 30 crustinis.
A Note About Cooking the Chicken
Make sure that the chicken breast is white all the way through as you slice into it. Chicken must not be served with a pink hue as that means all of the bacteria has not been killed.
Add a Shaved Piece of Parmesan
Another variation on the Chicken Pesto Crustini Appetizer is to add a shaved piece of Parmesan on top of the chicken. Remember that this dish is already very rich in nature do to the pesto. Some people enjoy cutting the flavors with the acidity of the Parmesan cheese, while others may prefer the dish without it. Taste it before you serve.
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