Foodsie Friday....Bruschetta/Balsamic Chicken

Don't know about you, but I am ALWAYS throwing away produce that has "gone bad"...it's such a waste!!  So apparently last time I went to Wegman's, I went a little crazy with the Roma Tomatoes.  I think I ended up buying 12 or something like that...what am I going to do with 12 Roma Tomatoes???
"Eat them, duh!"

I have a small pot on my windowsill above my kitchen sink where I am growing some Basil, Thyme, and WAS growing Cilantro {until I over-watered} and it wilted and died...ugh...

So....I wanted to make Bruschetta...which by the way is one of my favorite hors d'oeuvres...{and when I say favorite, it should translate into "I-can-eat-it-with-a-spoon"}.  But anyway...I wanted to make some bruschetta, but I also wanted to be able to make a meal out of it...for dinner.  My original thought was to slice the chicken breasts, then stuff it with the bruschetta...but that idea went out the window...the thought of "hot bruschetta" didn't really appeal to me.

So...I starting thinking of how I could incorporate chicken into the whole "bruschetta" thing...here's what I did:

Bruschetta:

8-10 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic {I like a lot of garlic, so you may need to adjust to your taste}
15-20 leaves fresh basil, chopped
4-6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-3 teaspoons sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all ingredients into gallon-size zip-lock bag and let the chicken marinate (I let it marinate for about 4 hours)

After done marinating, place in a oven-safe dish and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta {mine happens to be Angel Hair pasta}.  I also created a balsamic reduction to toss with the pasta {I didn't want to use regular tomato sauce because I thought with the bruschetta it would be too "tomato-ey"}.  Sooo...{and please forgive me, because I rarely measure anything...so these are just "guesstimates"}

Balsalmic Reduction:

In a saucepan, bring to boil about 1/2 to 3/4 cup balsalmic vinegar...once boiling, lower heat to a simmer...stir frequently until liquid becomes "thicker"...{notice...I did not say "thick"}

Once "thicker", remove from heat and add 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup {I used just regular old "Aunt Jemima"}.  Sounds weird, I know...just do it.

Toss your cooked pasta with your balsamic reduction.

Final step:

Place desired amount of pasta on plate, place cooked chicken on top of pasta, sprinkle with desired amount of shredded mozzarella cheese, layer with bruschetta, and then a little more cheese {because you can never have enough cheese}...and Viola!

Here is how it turned out!  {Btw, the hubby loved it!!  He ate 2 plates!!!}

 

Let me know how you like it if you try it!

 

Enjoy!!