Pesto Chicken Skewers

Jess & Ben’s wedding weekend was perfect! We spent Friday arranging  flowers and setting up decorations at the Mountain Lakes House, then Ben’s parents hosted everyone for a rehearsal BBQ at their house.  The couple participated in the German wedding tradition of Baumstamm Sägen.  Traditionally done the day of the wedding, the couple saws a log in half which symbolizes their teamwork and ability to work through any tough task together.  Jess and Ben went through their log in record time, so they’re bound to have a blissful marriage! The main event was Saturday afternoon, so us girls were up early primping.  The entire day ran without a hitch (except for Jess and Ben getting hitched!) – the weather was perfect, we played lawn games, snapped pictures in the DIY photo booth, devoured treats from the homemade dessert table, danced our socks off, and ended the night with sparklers and champagne! The couple is off to Playa del Carmen for their honeymoon with some much-deserved sun and relaxation.  Congrats to two of my dearest friends – wishing you all the best and cannot wait for future adventures with you both!

Recovering from the previous night’s lack of sleep and preoccupied by the first Sunday of the NFL season, these skewers were the perfect low-effort meal for last night’s dinner.  I marinated the chicken for about 2 hours prior to dinner, threaded the skewers, and cooked them up without delay.  I was worried the skewers would be lacking without sauce – I had the amazing cream sauce from my Chipotle Chicken Kabobs on my mind – but the tomatoes added juiciness to the chicken.  If you have metal skewers, you can skip the skewer soaking step because there’s no risk of metal skewers burning! I got 10 skewers from the pound of chicken, but I have to trim the skewers to fit into the grill pan, so you might get a few less if you’re using a full length skewer.  Thanks to Jess sharing her leftovers, I served the skewers with some orzo from the wedding.  Delicious!

Pesto Chicken Skewers

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Time: 20 minutes + marinating time

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

¼ cup pesto

1 pint cherry tomatoes

8-10 wooden skewers

Cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine chicken and pesto in a Ziploc bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Soak wooden skewers 20-30 minutes prior to cook time.

2. Beginning and ending with chicken, thread chicken and tomatoes onto skewers.

3. Heat grill pan over medium heat, and lightly coat with cooking spray.  Place skewers onto the grill and cook 3-4 minutes; flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.