My basil plants are out of control. And it’s only June 6.

(By “my” basil plants I am, of course, referring to the ones J so nicely planted in his garden for me and keeps alive so I can make things like Bruschetta Chicken. I do water them, though. Or I did….once.)

While looking for a quick meal and a way to use some of the rampantly-growing basil, I came across this recipe on How Sweet It Is.I seriously don’t know what I did before I found this blog. I make something from it almost once a week.

I hope that’s not stalker-ish in any way.

I really loved this chicken and will definitely be making it numerous times over the summer. Not only was it delicious using only a few, fresh ingredients, it is also a healthy and quick option for a weeknight meal.

I was making this on a whim so my chicken only marinated for about 30 minutes. Ideally, you would marinate longer but I rarely seem to do things the ideal way. Regardless, the chicken still turned out tasty.

I don’t have a picture of the marinating chicken. A) Marinating chicken isn’t all that exciting B) Marinating chicken, raw marinating chicken, isn’t the most photogenic thing, ya know?

While the chicken is marinating, make the bruschetta topping. Dice the tomatoes (I used Roma’s), chiffonade the basil (this is easily accomplished by stacking basil leaves, rolling them tightly and then cutting the roll- the end result is long, thin strip of basil), shred some fresh parmesan, chop up the garlic cloves, and toss everything into a small bowl. Stir the ingredients together and let sit at room temp to let the flavors come together.

When the chicken has finished marinating (or, you’re hungry and impatient) grill the chicken over medium low heat until it has cooked through. Big thanks to J for being awesome grill-side. It is certainly not an area of expertise for me.

(Wait, do I even have an area of expertise to compare it to? …It’s probably best not to go there.)

When the chicken has finished, remove it from the grill to a plate and spoon the bruschetta topping over the chicken. Now, this could easily be left as-is and it would be delicious.

Or, you could drizzle balsamic reduction over it and take it to a whole ‘nother level.

Please, please drizzle the balsamic reduction on top. I can promise you will not regret it.

By now you’re absolutely starving and staring at this delicious-looking dish, so dig in. Amen.

Bruschetta Chicken

(Adapted slightly from How Sweet It Is)

Marinade

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1- 1.5 pounds total)
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil
• 1 tsp. dried mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. balsamic reduction

Bruschetta topping

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 c. packed fresh basil, cut into thin strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh parmesan cheese

1. Thoroughly combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, except for the chicken. Place the chicken in large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over; let the chicken marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 8 hours.

2. Approximately 10 minutes before beginning to grill the chicken, make the bruschetta topping . Combine all ingredients, except the balsamic reduction, and stir completely. Let the topping sit and room temperature to let the flavors come together.

3. Grill the chicken over medium-low heat until just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a clean plate.

4. Spoon the bruschetta topping onto the chicken. Drizzle everything with balsamic reduction and serve.