This is a different take on a traditional caesar salad I love salad and caesar makes for a wonderful, simple, easy, yet flavoursome side salad to most meals. I have made caesar salad with grilled chicken before and also with crispy coated chicken tenders, I decided to try something a little different last night and it was wonderful. I marinated the chicken first, then stuffed it and finally coated it in panko flakes (Japanese breadcrumbs: available at some supermarkets and most Asian grocery stores.) and baked it, sliced thickly and served over a bed of salad greens with traditional caesar accompaniments. I know you can add egg to a caesar but as I was serving this topped with the chicken I decided to leave that off as for us it would have just been too much.

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Clove garlic, crushed
1/2 Teaspoon provincial herbs

Stuffing

2-3 Teaspoons sun-dried tomato pesto (depending on size of breasts)
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
3/4-1 Cup panko flakes (again depending on size of breasts, enough to coat completely.)

Salad

2 Slices white bread crusts removed
Butter
Garlic powder, dried basil and parsley, enough to sprinkle each side of the bread with.
3 Bacon slices, cooked crumbled
200g Cos lettuce or a bag of caesar salad greens
1/2 Cup flaked parmesan cheese, or as much as you like
Caesar dressing (store bought or make your own.)

Method

1. Trim chicken of any excess fat open out and pound with a meat mallet until roughly equal thickness (about 1/4 inch thick.)

2. Combine oil, juice, sauce, garlic and herbs in a bowl or storage container, add chicken toss to coat, marinade for several hours.

3. Remove chicken from marinade open out, spread pesto down one side of breast, Press cheese into pesto, dividing equally between the 2 breasts (so about 11/2 TBLS per breast.)

4. Fold the other half over filling to enclose, pour panko flakes onto a plate, press chicken into flakes and coat well all over with flakes. If while placing the filling onto the breast you have lost too much of the oil from the marinade, just dip chicken back into it before coating with panko, as it is the marinade that allows the panko flakes to stick well to the chicken.

5. Place chicken breasts in an oven proof dish and bake in preheated oven 190 degrees Celsius for about 30-40 Min’s until chicken is browned and cooked through (again cooking time is just depending on the size of the breasts smaller ones will be done in about 30 Min’s) Slice thickly and serve immediately.

6. While chicken is cooking, spread butter onto one side of bread sprinkle with garlic, basil and parsley, place slices into a pan, and cook until browned and crisp, repeat with the other side. Slice into squares.

(I do this over a medium heat as it allows for the bread to brown and crisp without burning, or cooking too quickly so the bread is still soft in the middle, this way you get nice crunchy crouton effect.)

7. Cook bacon, drain and crumble.

To Serve: Place salad greens on a plate, sprinkle bacon and Parmesan cheese over, place croutons around plate, drizzle with salad dressing and top with sliced chicken.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.