Cottage Cheese Avocado Pesto Chicken (Printable)
Crisp lettuce cups filled with seasoned chicken, avocado, cottage cheese, and fresh pesto
# List of ingredients:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 14 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Pesto
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts
08 - 1 garlic clove
09 - 1/4 cup olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Filling
12 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
13 - 1 cup cottage cheese
14 - 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
15 - 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
16 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
17 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Lettuce Cups
18 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet and roast 18-20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes before dicing into small cubes.
02 - Combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping sides as needed.
03 - Gently fold diced chicken, avocado, cottage cheese, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons pesto in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Arrange lettuce leaves on serving platter. Spoon chicken mixture evenly into each cup. Drizzle with additional pesto if desired and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cottage cheese creates this incredible creamy texture that holds everything together while adding protein without the heaviness of mayo
- You can prep everything ahead and assemble in literally five minutes right before serving
02 -
- The lettuce leaves can get soggy if you assemble them too far ahead, so keep the components separate until the last fifteen minutes
- Room temperature cottage cheese mixes much better than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
- If your lettuce leaves are tearing, try running them under warm water for thirty seconds then drying them completely
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice over the finished cups brightens everything up beautifully