Stuffed Chicken Caprese

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

4 (1 oz) slices mozzarella cheese

8 large fresh basil leaves

1/4 tsp salt, divided

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

With small knife, make a horizontal slit in chicken breasts to create pockets, being careful not to cut all the way through.  Sandwich 1 cheese slice between 2 basil leaves; stuff into pocket.  Secure with toothpick.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 tsp of the salt and pepper.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Add oil; heat until hot.  Cook chicken 5 minutes; turn.  Scatter tomatoes over chicken; sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp salt.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook, covered, 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Sprinkle chicken with torn basil.  Remove toothpicks before serving.

Thoughts and Tips:
This ended up being way easier than I expected it to be.  Use a thermometer to check the chicken--it should be at least 170 degrees before taking it off the heat.  The chicken breasts I used were fairly thick, so it took more like 8-10 minutes a side to get them cooked through.

We really liked this recipe.  The chicken stayed beautifully tender and the basil and olive oil infused it with a great flavor.  Highly recommend!