Chicken for Company

When my once and future roommate, who is studying in Washington, D.C. this semester, said she'd be at school to visit on Labor Day, she was expecting to get fast food or stop by the cafeteria. Being the friend that I am, I just couldn't let her do that. Instead, my current roommate and I threw an informal little dinner party. Great conversation, and I finally got to use all my place mats and set the table with all of my new dishes. It was such a pretty little set-up in our cozy little kitchen.

The finished product

Oh, and the food tasted wonderfully, too. In case you're into the actual food component of a dinner party.

Look at the marvelous pinwheeling!

Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pesto
4 balls fresh mozzarella, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts to a thickness of about 1/4''. Place the pounded chicken breasts on a greased or parchment papered baking sheet. Spread 2 tbsp pesto onto each chicken breast, then top with the sliced mozzarella. Roll the "stuffed" chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks. Spread the remaining pesto on top of the rolled chicken breasts, 1 tbsp on each. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Note: Technically this is a recipe for rolled chicken, as you roll the pounded chicken breasts as opposed to actually stuffing un-pounded chicken breasts. But rolled chicken makes me think of chicken rolled into a wrap, and chicken wraps make me think of cold chicken which makes me think of lunch, not a dainty little Labor Day dinner. So you can see why I'm sticking with "stuffed."