Stuffing. Potatoes. Bread. Pie. Second helpings. Extra snacks. And more dessert. Ugh. Are your jeans as pissed off at you as they are at me?
This week, among the efforts to use up and get creative with leftovers (which are awesome, don’t get me wrong!), I reached a point that I needed something healthy. Something fresh-tasting. Something that wasn’t going to make me want to collapse at 7:30pm from that I-can’t-believe-I-ate-the-whole-thing feeling. Thank goodness that I had the items on hand for this simple, flavorful and HEALTHIER version of poultry and fixins than what I’ve been staring at for a week.
Caprese Chicken Thighs to the rescue!
Fresh tomatoes (OK, maybe not summer fresh, but fresher than another piece of pie), chicken thighs (healthier for you than you might think!), basil, whole wheat pasta–yeah, much better.
And some burrata. Yeah, it’s cheese. And it’s rich cheese. But I couldn’t go cold turkey completely (go ahead–groan at the bad joke). I mean, it had me headed in a better direction than serving up another bowl of stuffing.
My jeans are speaking to me again. It’s a start.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 30 minutes |
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I will never get tired of the simple and explosively delicious nature of the beautiful flavors of tomatoes, cheese, basil and olive oil. No matter how you serve it to me, I'm in. I feel healthy looking at it, and content eating it. And when it's paired with a perfectly roasted piece of juicy chicken, it's pretty darned incredible. Simple, quick, healthy, and a great break from heavier dinners. And you won't walk away hungry; you'll be satisfied, and oh-so-happy for this perfect flavor combination.
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- 4 skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1 ball fresh burrata cheese, sliced (see note below)
- 1 large sprig fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs. If you like, you can remove the skin and discard it. I keep it to give the meat a bit more flavor, and to provide a chance for a crispier chicken when roasted.
- Salt & pepper the chicken on both sides.
- Slice the tomatoes and burrata into equal sized pieces (about 1/4 - 1/2" each). Remove leaves from basil sprig; rinse and pat dry.
- Place the chicken in an oven-safe dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and top each piece with a slice of tomato and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or or until the chicken skin begins to brown, and the tomato begins to pucker on the sides.
- In the meantime, prepare whole wheat pasta according to package directions; drain thoroughly, and drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking. Serve with chicken than has been topped with slice of burrata and a basil leaf.
Burrata is an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and fresh cream. Have you tried it yet No? Well, get thee to your grocery store and see if they carry it. If not, a local cheese shop or other specialty grocery will likely have it. Yeah, it's not exactly the healthy part of this recipe, but when used in moderation the burrata adds a silky and rich component to all of the fresh ingredients happening on the plate.
You will likely have cheese left over when making this dish. It should keep for couple days, and can be used as a spread for toast or sandwiches (it spreads beautifully), or can be tossed on top of other roasted veggies for a great contrast to other flavors and textures of so many green vegetables.
A perfect addition to a fresh dish like these Caprese Chicken Thighs any night of the week!
This sounds like an easy weeknight dinner meal. So simple yet plenty of fresh flavors! Thanks for sharing 🙂
These are my favorite summer flavors!
Chicken thighs I love because their are juicy and tender. Great combination here with all the ingredients yummy =)
I think simple meals are always the best, love the yummy flavors you’ve combined – looks just delish!
What a great recipe for chicken thighs!
What a great quick dinner idea!
My hubby would go nuts for this recipe. It’s so gorgeous and good for you too.
I’m definitely thinking about eating lighter. This looks delicious! I’ll be making it for my husband. Just not sure where to find the Burrata!
If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, or even at a cheese shop (if they don’t carry it, then they need another gig! LOL), you can sub buffalo mozzarella. It’s cheese. It’s all good. :o)
I’ve definitely been eating lighter since Thanksgiving. My jeans aren’t mad at me, but my stomach has been. It just can’t handle super rich food all the time. I love this light and different meal idea! Such a pretty combination.
I am all in favor of all things caprese- I even made caprese onion ring stacks last year! Looks like a great lunch or dinner choice.