My Half-Full Glass of Lemonade

What’s cooking? Crunchy Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs

I’m supposed to be in Arizona today, enjoying the magnificence of the Grand Canyon with a couple of good friends. But an hour before the car that would take us to the airport arrived, we got a call from the husband in that couple, saying that his wife was having horrible back pain, and they wouldn't be able to go on the trip. That was Wednesday.

We took a few moments to assess the situation. We could go anyhow – plane and hotel reservations were still intact, our bags were packed, and we had no health issues. But the major point of the trip was to see this other couple – the Grand Canyon was just a vehicle for the get together – and we wouldn’t enjoy the experience nearly as well without them.

So we canceled, too. And then we worked on making lemonade out of these lemons.

It wasn’t as hard as you’d imagine. After all, the Grand Canyon will still be there when we get around to setting up another trip, and the airline cheerfully saved the tickets for another time. So we called off the car, unpacked our bags, and poured a glass of wine to help us think.

Then we realized: we had nothing to do for a week. NOTHING. No doctor or dentist appointments, no PT or chiropractic sessions, no meetings, no lunch/dinner dates, no hair appointments, no need for manicure/pedicure, ...Well, the list just goes on. When’s the last time you had that kind of freedom? After a while, we caved to the most immediate impulse and called friends to go to dinner; but by and large, we’re just “chillin’.” And it’s been a great week. I’m thinking we should schedule this sort of “vacation” more often. Just tell everyone we’ll be out of town, and hang out at home.

Plus, here I am with time for a post. Something for you and something for me!

I’ve been loving this recipe so much – soooo easy – that I’ve probably made it too often, but my prince hasn’t complained even once. It’s fast and flavorful and – except for the pesto – doesn’t use a lot of weird ingredients. Of course, the Kitchen Goddess doesn't think pesto is weird. She always has pesto on hand – she can’t seem to resist the urge to make it anytime she has enough herbs. (Check out this post on four kinds of pesto: It’s a Pesto Party!) These days, lots of grocery stores will sell pesto they make in-house. So find some pesto, make some pesto,... whatever. But definitely try this recipe.

Kitchen Goddess note on panko versus regular breadcrumbs: For starters, panko is not a weird ingredient. Au contraire, panko is a Japanese style of breadcrumb – available in most grocery stores – made from a crustless white bread that is processed into flakes and then dried. Because the consistency is drier and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, panko absorbs less oil than traditional breadcrumbs, producing a lighter, more delicate crunch. You can always use breadcrumbs instead, but you won’t get that delicate crunch.

Crunchy Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs

Adapted from RainbowJewels on allrecipes.com.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup prepared pesto
2 tablespoons olive oil plus 1½ teaspoons, divided
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Optional garnish: 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Pyrex-type dish.

In a small bowl, thin the pesto with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Using a Ziploc bag or glass dish, marinate the chicken thighs with the olive oil/pesto mix for 30-45 minutes. 

When ready to cook, combine the panko, Parmesan cheese, 1½ teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. Move the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet and spread the pesto marinade on top. Sprinkle the panko/parmesan mixture on the chicken and lightly press it onto the chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165º F. (That 20 minutes is just a guideline. The thickness of chicken thighs these days varies wildly, so the Kitchen Goddess recommends either a thermometer or – what she does – slice into one of the thicker ones and see if the juices run clear.)

Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. All else you need is a veggie or salad.