Recipe of the Day: Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Tomato, basil, onion & garlic make me incredibly happy. As in, I took a hundred pictures of them happy. Throw in some amazing cheese, a loaf of crusty bread and balsamic vinegar, and I could eat for a week.

Eventually, we’ll have all of these fresh from the garden, but I haven’t been exactly patient this year…right now I’m anxiously awaiting having fresh tomatoes on our vines. In the meantime, we have so much basil in the herb garden that I’m always looking for ways to use it. This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite appetizers-traditional Italian bruschetta, usually served on crostini. 

Ingredients:

For the bruschetta:

2.5 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp Girard’s Italian Dressing

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

For the chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Prepare the chicken breasts by making 1/4 inch deep cross-hatch slices on both sides of the chicken (or on one side if the chicken is thinner).

Combine balsamic vinegar and next seven ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place the chicken breasts and balsamic vinegar marinade mixture in a gallon ziploc bag, and refrigerate for up to one hour.

To cook the chicken, first preheat the grill. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Coat the grill rack with cooking spray, and place chicken on the grill. Grill six minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

To make the bruschetta, pour 2 tbsp Girard’s Italian Dressing and 1/2 tbsp olive oil into a shallow pan and turn heat to medium-high. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes or until the bruschetta mixture is hot but the tomatoes are still firm.

Top the grilled chicken with the bruschetta and enjoy.

Bonus Points: Top the chicken and bruschetta with slices of buffalo mozzarella!