Erin’s Pesto Chicken with Parmesan Orzo

My little sister is always telling me about this super easy and super delicious dinner that she makes, so I decided to try it tonight and boy is it DELICIOUS!  If you aren’t up to making homemade pesto, you can purchase a small container of it at the grocery store (usually in the cheese aisle) for about $4.00.  If you don’t make your own pesto, this dinner would take about 10 minutes to throw together.

Chicken Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of pesto (click here for my pesto recipe)
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Pasta Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 TBSP minced fresh basil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.  Cook your orzo pasta in a pot with the chicken broth until tender.  When it is tender, remove from heat and drain remaining liquid.  Add parmesan and basil. 

While orzo is cooking, season both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rub pesto on both sides of each breast.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake in the oven for 8-14 minutes (depending on breast thickness) until chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear.  Serve with orzo pasta.

Make sure you line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Enjoy!