Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets
This is a fast-as-it-gets weeknight dinner, perfect for those midweek nights when you’re ready to cave and order a pizza instead of cooking. Put the phone down, open the pantry, and you’ll have these cheesy bruschetta-topped chicken cutlets ready in about fifteen minutes! Bruschetta chicken cutlets are just what they sound like: thin cuts of chicken breast, seared and topped with diced tomatoes and lots of melty cheese. The recipe makes use of a convenient pantry staple: canned diced tomatoes. Doctor them up with some olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and they make a great stand-in when fresh tomatoes are out of season. Use chicken cutlets for this recipe because they cook so quickly. Look for them next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding cutlets, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat. With its warm topping of tomatoes and cheese, this dinner is plenty rich and flavorful. Serve on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles, or alongside steamed rice and vegetables. I actually like these more than their fussier cousin, chicken parmigiana!
Look for chicken cutlets next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding them, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat.
Serve this chicken on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles or alongside steamed rice and vegetables.
1 Heat your oven broiler to its highest setting. Place a rack a few inches below the broiler.
2 Make the bruschetta topping: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all of the bruschetta topping ingredients. Set aside.
3 Sear the chicken: Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch), oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. I like to use either a cast iron or stainless steel skillet -- nonstick and enameled cast iron cookware usually aren't meant to be used above 500ºF, so they aren’t broiler safe.
When the oil is shimmering, sear the chicken cutlets for 3 minutes on one side, just so they get a little bit of color. It’s ok if they are not cooked through, since they will finish cooking in the oven.
4 Flip the cutlets over, then spoon on the bruschetta topping and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
5 Broil the chicken: Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting into one of the cutlets to see if it’s opaque in the center, or by checking the temperature of one of the cutlets with an instant-read thermometer (the chicken should be 165ºF or higher in the center).
5 Serve: Sprinkle the parsley on top of the chicken and serve the cutlets hot.