Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

This is such an easy recipe, and perfect for a weeknight at the end of Summer; especially when you have lots of zucchini left over! This Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini Bake features chicken breasts seasoned with garlic, basil, Trader Joe’s Italian Soffrito, salt and pepper.

Prep the Chicken and zucchini

Then drizzled with melted butter (or ghee) and Basil Parmesan olive oil (I love Harry and David’s brand!) and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese over the top.

Baked Chicken + Zucchini

The chicken is roasted together in one pan with chunks of zucchini that get super tender and caramelized in the oven, especially with the baked crunchy Parmesan cheese on top. You guys… this recipe is soooo good…and it’s healthy, #lowcarb and gluten-free too…(bonus!)

Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

To serve, I topped the chicken and zucchini with some fresh parsley, red pepper flakes (optional) and a squeeze of lemon juice to give the dish bright, tangy flavors with a little extra heat just before serving.

Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

It’s perfect served with some crusty bread, mashed potatoes or cauliflower, or pasta to soak up the savory juices, (but just as good served alone!) and you’ve got a delicious end-of-Summer meal that’s fresh, full of flavor and super easy to make!

Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4

This is such an easy recipe, and perfect for a weeknight at the end of Summer; especially when you have lots of zucchini left over! This Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini Bake features chicken breasts seasoned with garlic, basil, Italian soffrito and Parmesan cheese, drizzled with melted butter and Basil Parmesan olive oil and topped with Parmesan cheese; which are roasted with chunks of tender caramelized zucchini.

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Italian Style Soffrito Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Harry and David Basil Parmesan olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup torn fresh parsley, for serving
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, for serving
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place zucchini on a rimmed baking pan, and season with a little more salt and pepper.
  2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, dried basil and Italian Soffrito.
  3. Place chicken on the baking pan with the zucchini pieces and brush the melted butter/ghee and olive oil over the top. Sprinkle evenly with garlic, basil, soffrito mixture then top with Parmesan cheese.
  4. Roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is browned and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven, and drizzle lemon juice on top. Garnish with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes.

Notes

You can substitute chicken thighs if you wish and also do bone-in chicken, adding an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2021/09/garlic-basil-parmesan-chicken-zucchini-bake/

This recipe serves four people, so just double the ingredients for a larger crowd (making it on two sheet trays instead of one). Feel free to use chicken thighs if you prefer, or bone-in chicken (just add a little extra cooking time to the recipe). 

Garlic Basil Parmesan Chicken + Zucchini Bake

Adios Summer, Hello Fall! Enjoy 🙂

On the Menu: Cooking with Fresh Seasonal Ingredients

Pan-seared Scallops and Asparagus
Pan-seared Scallops and Asparagus

Spring has arrived! It’s my favorite time of year when everything comes alive…flowers are blooming, streets are buzzing, the sun is shining, and the freshest fruits and vegetables are available at the local markets. Asparagus, Strawberries, Avocados – three lovely, seasonal ingredients perfect for a light and refreshing Spring menu. The salad has marinated strawberries in a Strawberry Balsamic Viniagrette, which gives them a sweet, tangy flavor – a perfect complement to the crunchy toasted almonds, bacon and avocado in this delicious spring salad. The Scallops are pan-seared in a roasted garlic chardonnay marinade with a splash of lemon, served with a side of sautéed fresh asparagus. Enjoy!

Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic and Lemon and Sauteed Asparagus

Ingredients

16 Large Sea Scallops
¼ c. Roasted Garlic Chardonnay Marinade (Tavern on the Green)
2 tbsp EVOO
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Lemon Pepper (Trader Joe’s)
1-2 Green Onions, sliced
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher Salt to taste

Preparation

In a plastic freezer bag, place scallops and ¼ c. marinade and lemon pepper, coat scallops well. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Prepped ingredients
Prepped ingredients

Chop the green onions and parsley and reserve for topping the scallops.

Asparagus
Asparagus

Cut off the ends of the asparagus (tough parts of the stem), rinse and pat dry. In a pre-heated sauté pan over medium-high, sauté the Asparagus in a tablespoon of olive oil with a splash of lemon juice and lemon pepper for about 5-6 minutes until cooked through.

After scallops are done marinating, take them out of the bag and dry off with paper towels. Place them in the same sauté pan, adding remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and lemon pepper.

Pan-seared Scallops
Pan-seared Scallops

Sear the scallops for approx. 2-3 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle scallops with some fresh lemon juice and remove from pan.

Place asparagus and scallops on a plate and garnish with chopped green onions, parsley and a lemon wedge.

Serves 4.

Strawberry Avocado Salad
Strawberry Avocado Salad

Strawberry, Bacon and Avocado Salad with Toasted Marcona Almonds

Ingredients

1 lb of mixed lettuce
1 pint of fresh strawberries, sliced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ripe avocado, sliced
½ cup of Rosemary Marcona almonds, toasted (Trader Joe’s)
3 green onions, sliced thin
3 tbsp of EVOO
3 tbsp of Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar (Tavern on the Green)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Slice the strawberries into thin slices and place in a sealable plastic bag with the 2 tbsp Strawberry Balsamic vinegar in the refrigerator, let marinade for about an hour.

Prepare salad dressing, mix olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and mustard together, slowly whisking in oil until it is mixed well and set aside.

Fry bacon in a pan until cooked well and drain on paper towels. Let bacon cool and crumble for salad topping. Set aside.

Rosemary Marcona Almonds and Green Onions
Rosemary Marcona Almonds and Green Onions

Place almonds in a separate pre-heated medium-sized pan with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt over the nuts. Cook and stir for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown and toasty.

Slice the avocados and green onions.

In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce and vinaigrette together, mixing well, and top salad greens with the marinated strawberries and sliced avocados.

Garnish the salad with crumbled bacon, green onions, toasted almonds, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.