Bruschetta Chicken
with a Crispy Mozzarella Crust, Bacon Mashed Potatoes & Broccoli
- Milk
- Wheat
Bruschetta, or to some, “broo-sketta,” is one of those foods that’s just as fun to say as it is to eat. The delicious mixture of chopped juicy tomatoes, lemon juice, and fresh herbs—usually piled on top of bread—is pretty tough to beat. So our chefs decided to give it a delicious upgrade. This recipe swaps bread (which, let’s be honest, usually gets a bit soggy!) for golden, panko-and-mozzarella-coated chicken cutlets. On the side, there’s creamy mashed potatoes studded with bits of crispy bacon and roasted broccoli tossed with bright lemon zest. One bite will transport you to the Italian countryside.
12 ounce
Potatoes
4 ounce
Bacon
1 unit
Green Herb Blend
8 ounce
Broccoli
1 unit
Lemon
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
()
1 unit
Tomato
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
()
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
1 teaspoon
Italian Seasoning
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. • Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces if necessary. • Place 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Stir in mozzarella, panko, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. Pat chicken* dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Place on one side of prepared sheet (for 4 servings, spread chicken out across entire sheet). Mound mozzarella crust onto tops of chicken, pressing firmly to adhere (no need to coat the undersides).
• Place potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. • Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid; drain. Return potatoes to pot; cover to keep warm. • Meanwhile, place bacon* in a large, dry pan over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
• Toss broccoli on opposite side of sheet from chicken with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, toss broccoli on a second baking sheet; roast on middle rack.) • Roast on top rack until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is tender, 15-20 minutes. TIP: For a deeply golden crust, broil chicken for the last 2-3 minutes.
• While chicken and broccoli roast, finely dice tomato. Pick parsley leaves from stems; finely chop leaves. Thinly slice chives. Zest and quarter lemon. • In a small bowl, combine tomato, chopped parsley, chives, a big squeeze of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Mash potatoes with 2 TBSP butter (3 TBSP for 4 servings) until smooth, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. • Roughly chop bacon; add half to mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. • Sprinkle broccoli with lemon zest to taste. • Divide potatoes, broccoli, and chicken between plates. Top chicken with bruschetta and potatoes with remaining bacon. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
- Flavor: Many loved the crispy, cheesy crust on the chicken and the fresh bruschetta topping, though some found it bland without basil or balsamic.
- Ease of prep: Several noted it was more time-consuming than expected, with multiple steps and dishes to clean.
- Suggestions: Consider adding garlic, basil, and balsamic to the bruschetta; some preferred steaming the broccoli instead of roasting.
- Portions: Some felt the potato portions were too small for two people, while others found the meal filling and satisfying.
- Chicken: Most enjoyed the tender, flavorful chicken, though a few found it dry or overcooked.
The bacon mashed potatoes were a big hit and the mozzarella crusted chicken was outstanding. We are not very fond of roasted broccoli so we dropped the florets into boiling water for 4 minutes, drained and dressed with butter. Excellent meal, so far among our top 5 favorites.
Flavorful and hearty meal. Loved the bacon mashed potatoes- lots of flavor. The broccoli gets a nice crunch on it - yum! But the star is def the chicken. Super moist and juicy with a crunchy crust. Big fans.
This, by far, was a favorite. The chicken with the cheese topping, mashed potatoes and broccoli was very good. But, the bruschetta was delicious. The fresh veggies with the lemon juice was so refreshing.
The broccoli was fantastic as well as the mozzarella crust on the chicken. For a gourmet meal is was on the simpler side to make so I appreciated that.
I don't see why this recipe is particularly "gourmet", there's not much special about broccoli and mashed potatoes with breaded chicken. I also don't like cold toppings on a warm meal, so I actually ended up roasting the tomatoes with the potatoes instead of making bruschetta and mashed potatoes. The mozzarella/bread crumb crust on the chicken was really tasty though.
This is one of my favorite meals! My family really loved the mozzarella crust on the chicken and the bruschetta topping!! The fresh pan fried bacon strips were delicious in the mashed potatoes 😋
The combination of the panko, mozz and spices made for a delicious crust. The bruschetta was really nice but would have been perfect with some basil.
Absolutely delicious. The chicken was very moist and tender and the crust was amazing. The bruschetta was very flavorful. A meal I would love to eat weekly.
We loved the Bruschetta Chicken. It was not difficult but it was exquisite. The tomato, lemon and basil topping was amazing.
Not sure about the bacon in the potatoes but everything else was perfect. The chicken was full of flavour and the tomato mixture was a wonderful accompaniment. And the broccoli was crispy and delicious.
