Pesto bruschetta chicken casserole

After a super long weekend I am finally back! We went to our favorite annual bike rally this weekend and to say my 25 year old body doesn't keep up with my 20 year old body is a complete understatement! So far this week hasn't been very eventful, mainly just trying to get my house back in order after the trip tornado came through the house. Am I the only one who's house gets completely turned upside down before a trip and you come back to a complete disaster zone? Nevertheless last week I decided to try a recipe that I saw on A Modern Mrs



Image via A Modern Mrs.
I really meant to take a photo of my own but it completely slipped my brain.

If there was an award for pickiest eater alive Kyle would probably win it. I can't cook anything to make this man happy unless it's plain speghetti or chicken...lots of chicken! The other day when I came across this recipe I decided he could either eat it with a smile or it would be one more failing attempt to appease him but trying couldn't hurt. When I went to serve it to him I only scooped a little bit so he could test the waters first. I had no idea that the second serving he would get covered his entire plate. insert major victory dance! This bruschetta pesto chicken casserole was mouth watering! Though the hubs did pick out all of the tomatoes I personally thought the tomatoes were delicious, this is coming from a non tomato lover. The only thing I changed about the original recipe was I added in 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion.

Ingredients:
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, quartered
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts {about two pounds}, cubed
1/2 cup Basil Pesto
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 cups Seasoned Panko Crumbs

How to:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar. Marinate in the fridge until ready to use.
In a medium bowl, toss the pesto and chicken together. Place in a single layer in a 13x9 baking dish.
Scoop the tomato mixture on top, disregarding any excess balsamic vinegar leftover.
Sprinkle the cheese on top.
Mix the melted butter and panko crumbs together and sprinkle on top of the cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. If you notice the crumbs are browning too much, cover your dish with a foil tent.

Side note: I really want to learn a basil pesto recipe so I can put my fresh basil to good use. But not knowing exactly how this meal would turn out I took a bit of a short cut and went with store bought.

If you try it let me know how yours turned out!
xoxo Haley