Chicken Pesto and Mozzarella Bagel

For me, this is the ultimate and best way to eat a bagel. I used to eat one very similar to this from a bagel cafe beside my University. I really cannot recall how many of those I ate during my college years...A lot, but it never got old  :-)

It was called 'The Italian Job', although they used to put mayonaisse and red onion on it too. I don't think this bagel needs that many flavours to make it delicious. Chicken and pesto is a classic combination and buffalo mozzarella is fabulous with both. For a slight change I like to use smoked chicken breast, which really complements the other flavours. But this will taste great with plain chicken as well.


100-125g smoked chicken breast, sliced
1 tbsp green pesto
50g buffalo mozzarella, sliced
1 wholewheat bagel

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Prepare the bagel. Layer the ingrediants - chicken first, pesto, mozzarella, and a little more pesto if you like.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Check that the bagel has become crisp on the outside and that the mozzarella has begun to melt.

Enjoy!!

Also, try this with a different flavoured pesto. Sun-dried tomato pesto or chili pesto are delicious as well.

Gourmet Italian Toasties

These delicious, veggie, toasties have an Italian influence and make a great lunch or snack. I use garlic and rocket pesto in this recipe, but any flavour pesto will work (although I do recommend a green pesto since that complements the sun-blushed tomatoes well).

These are also gorgeous without being toasted.

Serves 1

I crispy bread roll, halved or 2 slices of crusty, country-style bread
Green pesto
10-12 sun-blushed tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese (Buffalo mozzarella makes for a very gourmet sandwich)
Black pepper

Turn the grill on.

Spread some pesto on both halves of the bread roll, or on both slices of bread (pesto is very calorific, so if you're watching your weight go easy on the amount!!)

Place the sun-blushed tomatoes on top of the pesto - spread them around evenly

Put the mozzarella on top. Put as much or as little on as you like - it depends on your cheese preference

Put under the grill for 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on them in case they burn.

Remove and grind some black pepper over them

Enjoy!

These can be eaten alone or with a green salad

For a meat version just add some salami or Italian ham - place over the pesto before you add the tomatoes.