Description
These Chicken, Mozzarella & Pesto Filo Parcels are a delicious, golden-baked appetizer or light meal, combining tender chicken, fresh basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and melting mozzarella wrapped in crispy filo pastry. Perfect served with green vegetables or a fresh salad, these parcels offer a delightful blend of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pesto
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 large basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp pine nuts
Filling
- 225g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, chopped
- 3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 125g mozzarella, chopped
Pastry
- 4 rectangular sheets (about 170g) filo pastry
- 20g butter, melted
To Serve
- Green vegetables or salad
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Baking Tray. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6) and place a baking tray inside to warm up.
- Make the Pesto. Grind together the olive oil, chopped basil leaves, and pine nuts in a pestle and mortar to create a rough pesto. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, finely chop the basil and pine nuts and mix thoroughly with the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the Filling. In a bowl, combine the chopped chicken, finely chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped mozzarella, and the freshly made pesto. Stir well to coat everything evenly, then season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the Filo Pastry. Stack the four filo sheets on a board and cut them in half to create two squares, each consisting of four layers of pastry. With one pile, gently twist each sheet slightly to form a star-like outline, then set aside.
- Assemble Parcels. Spoon half the filling onto one pile of the filo pastry squares. Brush a little melted butter around the base edges of the pastry. Then gather the outsides of the pastry upwards and scrunch them together to enclose the filling, forming a parcel shape. Brush half of the remaining melted butter over the top of the parcel. Repeat this process with the second pile and remaining filling and butter.
- Bake the Parcels. Transfer the prepared parcels onto the preheated baking tray and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until the parcels turn golden and crisp.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and serve hot alongside green vegetables or a fresh salad for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for a juicier filling or chicken breasts for a leaner option.
- Filo pastry dries out quickly, so keep it covered with a damp tea towel while assembling.
- For added flavor, consider adding a pinch of chili flakes or garlic to the pesto.
- You can substitute pine nuts with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- If you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers can be a good alternative.
- Brush parcels with melted butter carefully to ensure a crisp and golden finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: chicken parcels, filo pastry, pesto recipe, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, baked chicken, Italian appetizer
