Forget basic chicken recipes and make grilled chicken with bruschetta topping – a quick Italian mix of tomato, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and basil!
Five—maybe six?—months ago, I got sucked into YouTube. It started with me googling how to do a fishtail braid. Every video: “It’s so easy.” “You wouldn’t believe how easy this is.” “Honestly! This is like the easiest thing in the world!” Guess what I finally learned to do?
Give up trying to do a fishtail braid.
And let someone else braid my hair.
But I kept watching. I was on to face-contouring videos then winged eyeliner ones then videos with titles like “bronzy everyday look” and “fake a blowout” because who doesn’t want to pretend they look rested and clean?
I was obsessed. If you’ve watched a video on YouTube, you know how quickly one turns to two, turns to a day you can’t account for any longer.
I understood loving the makeup and hair videos; I’m crazy about makeup and hair. I’m that friend that does everyone else’s makeup and hair. But then I started watching funny videos, cooking videos, fitness videos…and subscribing to my favorites: You Deserve a Drink, Miranda Sings, MyHarto, ThatsHeart (and ThatsHeartTV), Alexandrea Garza, Psychosoprano, and JoshuaDTV (side note: I am in love with watching Colleen Ballinger and Josh Evans vlog about their lives. They both seem like such genuine people and their wedding video had me in tears <–this is the state of my life).
In the last few weeks, I’ve discovered a new one: Laura Vitale. I don’t want to be too gushy here, but she’s kind of a ray of light. I just adore her. She’s genuine and generous and warm. And none of it seems put-on—not when she’s going nuts about the food she’s making on Laura in the Kitchen, or when she’s telling you about her favorite brands of makeup on Vitale Style. I love watching her, sans-makeup and totally in the moment, interacting with her husband, Joe, on their vlog channel, The Vitales. There’s an authenticity to her, but more than that—I get the sense that she’s truly as kind and humble as she comes across. If you watch enough of her videos, you’ll see it too: she’s transparent about who she is. I love that. Watching her I’m reminded how perfectly fine it is to be myself—how important it is to be myself. I like leaving her channel and feeling inspired to cook, or inspired to go to bed every night having given the day every drop of what I had. This is quickly becoming a football team huddle.
The first cooking video of hers I ever watched was her bruschetta—one of her oldest, too. It’s classic and true. Of course bruschetta is delicious. It’s simple and yet so satisfying. But to me, it’s an app, not a meal—even though I’ve unintentionally eaten enough of it to make it a meal many, many times. To marry my love of bruschetta and my love of feeling like I’ve done right by dinner, I made it into a real meal. And I did that by swapping grilled bread for grilled chicken.
Also? We just dressed up grilled chicken in something other than barbecue sauce.
Take time this weekend and grill a big batch of chicken (double the recipe!), then chop some tomatoes and add fresh basil, oregano, a bit of garlic and minced red onion, olive oil, and the secret ingredient: fresh mozzarella. This Italian salsa will keep and intensify in flavor for up to 4 days before the tomatoes get a little mushy. Tip: the day after I made this, I chopped up the leftover chicken and made a salad with the bruschetta topping—no dressing needed. So easy. So good.
I hope you love it, friends! Also, please tell me: do you watch YouTubers like I do? Are you obsessed?
Grilled Chicken with Bruschetta Topping
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes chopped
- ¼ medium red onion finely chopped (2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil 8-10 leaves, finely chopped
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, mozzarella, a generous pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon each) and pepper. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat.
- Season both sides of the chicken cutlets liberally with salt and pepper. Brush your grill grates with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
- Add the chicken cutlets and cook until browned on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway. Transfer the chicken to a platter and top each cutlet with the bruschetta topping.
Thanks for all the youtube suggest. I’m crazy for makeup tutorials too. This recipe is perfect for summer!!’ Looovvee it.
Thanks, friend! Makeup tutorials make makeup so much fun for me (just used “make” so many times it’s not even funny), but then I end up wanting to buy 7,000 products :)
I totally get sucked into YouTube channels! My favorite make-up channel is Danna Ann. For cooking, I LOVE Hilah Cooking and Bon Appetempt.
Oh my gosh thank you for giving me THREE new channels! Going to lose myself in them I’m sure :)
This is going on next week’s list! Sounds delicious!
Thank you, love!! Sometime soon (August is nuts already) but we are getting together FOR SURE xo
Youtube not so much, although I have been known to watch a few tutorials once in awhile. But my 3 and half very old daughter, yes she’s only 3, is OBSESSED with toy reviews on YouTube! It’s crazy! We’ve had to delete YouTube off our iPads so that she doesn’t get into stuff she isn’t supposed to! I’ve been thinking about documenting a journey on YouTube but I keep putting it off as I’m a bit terrified of the negativity you see in some of the comments.
Just a side note, for the longest time your emails were coming to me as jibberish and finally just in the last month or so I’ve been getting them in the proper format. I had no idea I would have such withdrawals! Hahaha You are my fix on a long day :) Thank you!
It is hilarious to me that your 3-year-old loved the toy reviews!! Frustrating for you (who doesn’t want to buy every single toy :), but it sounds kinda cute!
Thank you for alerting me about my subscription service being weird — I’ve heard that from a few other people and I’m in the process of having it looked at!! Glad you’re back here with me xo
As I was reading this, before you mentioned it, I was thinking “I wonder if she likes Laura Vitale?” My husband and I LOVE her. And her food is DE-LISH! We just had her cajun chicken pasta last night. (Not low cal, but I budgeted accordingly! LOL) And her baked ziti has become our “special occasion” dish.
Side note – I’m so glad you’re posting often again! I first heard about you on Pinterest, and it was right after your book came out. I started checking out the archives and I read your book in about a day and a half. You have truly been an inspiration to me. As of yesterday, I’ve lost 55.2 pounds. I have a good bit more to go, but I’m eating better, going to the gym every day, and I feel SO much better.
Thanks for everything!
Hayley! First of all–thank you!! Thank you for reading the book and the blog archives — that means the world.
Second– WAY TO GO on your weight loss! WOW. That’s amazing you’ve lost 55.2 pounds!! I’m seriously inspired :)
I need to check out Laura’s cajun chicken pasta next! I’m slowly watching my way through…
Haha nice to know this about you Andie :) I YouTube binge once in a while, the makeup and hair tutorials are the best. Try Looking for cheap hair frosting by Hannah and kayley on YouTube lol I am so glad you have some new posts up!
Teni Panosian has my favorite make-up channel. In my opinion, she is also genuine, friendly and unpretentious. For cooking, I love Beth Kirby from Local Milk (no youtube, but you have to check her out. Her food fotography is incredible!)
*and her writing!
The first and best thing I watched on you tube was your Ted Talk Andie! So inspirational and fun to watch! You’re disarming and beautiful … and I’m a sucker for hilarious of the self-deprecating variety, mixed with a commitment to self love! I have since watched some pretty shiny sparkly vlogs, love her back story and her work life balance is inspiring. Can’t wait to check out Laura Vitale. Your work and especially book have made my life better. Your blog has made our dinner table happier. Glad you found this vocation and so grateful for your continued and profound work at being such a fabulous you!
I love just playing youtube video playlists constantly. I will watch youtube while I’m getting ready, or cooking, or cleaning… it’s always on. My newest obsession is Good Mythical Morning on the Rhett & Link channel.
This sounds so great! I’m definitely going to try it out.
Love all your youtube subscriptions too! I’ve been subscribed to most of those for a while, but JoshuaDTV is a recent one since I’m subscribed to Colleen and I wanted to check out their vlogs. I’m now hooked. Love your blog :)
P.S. I finished reading your book last week and I loved it! Thank you for sharing your story
My love for YouTube tutorials began when I was looking for a way to use a new curling wand, so I totally feel you! This Chicken Bruschetta is something I make often at home. I just love the freshness of the whole dish!
I made a “poor girls” version of this last night (I was missing half the bruschetta ingredients) and other than overcooking my chicken, I really liked the basil and tomato with the chicken. I’ll hafta try this again when I have all the bruschetta ingredients…and am less distracted while cooking chicken. haha
Andie, OMG, I watch JoshuaDTV and Psychosoprano too! I love Josh and Colleen. And if you like them you’ll like Julien Solomita and Jenna Marbles (of course). About half of the channels you mentioned I watch as well.
So glad to see you’re posting recipes again!
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