Wendy´s Chicken Caprese

This was a huge hit when I made it for my cookie exchange last Christmas.

Ingredients

For pureed tomatoes:

• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

For chicken:

• 1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 2 springs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into bite-sized cubes
• ¼ cup balsamic glaze
• ¼ cup tightly packed fresh basil, cut chiffonade
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

Directions

For pureed tomatoes (can be made a day in advance and refrigerated):

• Toss tomatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F and roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until tender. You an also use an air fryer.
• Transfer the roasted tomatoes, and any juices, to a bowl. Puree with an immersion blender and set aside.

For Chicken:

• While the tomatoes roast, arrange the raw chicken on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Lightly pound the chicken tenderloins into ½ - inch thickness. Discard the plastic, then season the chicken on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
• Preheat the D3 Stainless Steel 6 Qt. Mother of All Pans on medium-low heat, then add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken tenderloins to the hot pan. Cook undisturbed for around 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165oF.
• Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• In the same pan, reduce the heat to low. Add the onions and let cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan as it cooks.
• Add the garlic and let cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
• Add the tomato puree back into the pan, then add the thyme, balsamic vinegar, and honey and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Spread the sauce evenly on the pan’s surface and return the chicken to the pan in a single layer. Top with mozzarella.
• Cover the pan and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the mozzarella to melt.
• Uncover, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with the fresh basil.
• Serve warm.

Pro Tip

I roast the tomatoes the day before and refrigerate. This makes cooking the day of much quicker.

RECIPE BY

Wendy – All-Clad employee

Mom to 6 year old twin girls and a senior rescue dog.