Caprese Salad has a long history dating back to the 1920’s having originated on the Island of Capri, always including juicy ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Modern times have brought forward variations of the caprese ingredients such as this Sheet Pan Chicken Caprese recently made by a team of students attending class in Carfagna’s Cooking School. Just one of the many creative dishes featured in our classes. Click here for more information.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 4 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 6-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4 round slices
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Working with a 9”x13” rimmed baking sheet, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil, using you hands to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the cherry tomatoes, sprinkle the Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt over the tomatoes, shaking the pan to coat the tomatoes in the oil and seasoning.
Evenly place the chicken breasts in the center of the pan in a single layer, pushing the cherry tomatoes to the perimeter of the pan. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of oil, sprinkling the remaining teaspoon of salt over the chicken. Place the sheet pan into the hot oven, baking for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through to 150-155 degrees and the tomatoes have slumped and started to burst. Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Turn the oven onto the Broiler setting. The chicken will continue cooking in the next step.
Carefully place a slice of mozzarella over each chicken breast. Return the pan to the oven, placing it on the center rack, not too close to the broiler. Allow the mozzarella cheese to slowly bubble and slightly brown from the heat of the broiler, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Drizzle the chicken and tomatoes with balsamic glaze, garnishing with the torn basil leaves.
Featured Market Ingredients
- Carfagna’s Olive Oil
- Chicken Cutlets
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- House-made Mozzarella Cheese
- Fresh Basil Leaves