Before we get started, I can absolutely say that these Chicken Pesto and Goat Cheese Pinwheels are so delicious they could definitely be served for dinner with a side salad or as part of a brunch. Personally, I love to bring them as an appetizer for a family function, book club or when the neighbours invite us over for some holiday cheer, not only because they taste great, but because they are super easy to make and can easily be whipped together while your hot rollers are doing their magic on your hair.
As for the chicken in this recipe, I know it calls for a pre-cooked chicken breast which isn't complicated, but can sometimes seem complicated when you need such a small amount for one recipe especially at a time when you are likely not cooking chicken. But not to worry! Here are a couple of ways to make having a pre-cooked piece of chicken on hand just a little bit easier:
Now that you have all of your ingredients...
Simply roll out dough.
Spread goat cheese.
Spread pesto.
Add chicken.
Roll.
Slice.
Bake.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 tube store bought pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
1 package of goat cheese (approx. 140g)
1 small jar of basil pesto (approx. 120mL)
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded with two forks (See above for how to make this super easy!)
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
About 15-20 minutes before you start making this recipe, pull out your goat cheese from the fridge so it can begin to soften, which will make it much easier to spread.
On a clean, flat surface and using a rolling pin, roll out pizza dough into a rectangle approx. ¼ inch thick.
Spread your goat cheese all over the pizza dough, leaving about ½ inch on all sides (it doesn’t have to be pretty).
Spread your pesto on top of the goat cheese.
Top with chicken.
Starting at one of the shorter ends of the rectangle, carefully roll up the pizza dough. Try to roll as tightly as possible, but be careful not to stretch the dough too much or it will rip.
Using a sharp knife, cut roll into 12 pinwheels and place each pinwheel on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sometimes they get messy when cutting and moving, so feel free to re-shape a bit with your hands once the pinwheels are on the baking sheet.
Bake in pre-heated 450F oven for 10 minutes.
Let cool slightly but serve warm!
Make-Ahead: Follow all the steps above except the baking and throw the pinwheels into your fridge on the baking sheet for up to 2 hours. Put them in the oven as guests are starting to arrive or bring them unbaked to your destination and throw them in the oven there (just be sure to double check that their oven is free and not cooking a turkey!). Alternatively, you can bake and reheat within 24 hours, but this is best done in the oven so they stay a bit crispy.
Looking for other easy appetizers you can make with store bought pizza dough? Check out this Spinach Dip like you’ve never seen it before and my Muffin Tin Panzerottis.
This summer, my sister moved home and brought with her a fancy university degree with very few job prospects in her area of expertise, a goal to get a job anyway so she can buy some rental properties, and a fairly new vegan (almost raw) diet along with a whole bunch of stuff from her University apartment that is now hanging out in my basement.
Being vegan means my sister mostly cooks for herself, since usually I can barely get the kids fed before we’re running out the door for after-school activities. Sometimes she cooks for me too, which is a totally awesome part of having her home again. But occasionally, as a non-vegan, I like to stretch my own ideas of what needs to be in a meal and make a vegan dish the whole family will hopefully enjoy, but at least try – which is exactly what happened with this Vegan Slow Cooker Hearty Tomato Soup.
Like most Canned Soup Mom recipes, this slow cooker soup involves dumping, setting, and forgetting – so it wins bonus points in my books for being super easy. It's also super delicious and a very hearty soup my sister says would even make an excellent Bolognese-sauce for pasta.
Ingredients
½ medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 carton (900mL) vegetable broth
½ cup split red lentils
½ cup green lentils
1 can (796mL) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can(156mL) tomato paste
6-10 fresh basil leaves
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened and unflavoured)
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning OR cumin (depending on which flavour you like the most – my sister likes the cumin amd I like the Italian seasoning)
Directions
Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and stir until combined.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or ideally, on low for 6 hours, then if you have slow cooker that automatically turns to warm when the cooking time is done, just let it sit on warm until you get home).
Using your hand hel / immersion blender, carefully purée. Careful because it’s hot!
Serve warm with more fresh basil and this crusty homemade bread which also happens to be vegan.
Want to try some of my other favourite slow cooker (though non-vegan) soup recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, my Slow Cooker Kid-Friendly Minestrone Soup and my Slow Cooker French Onion Soup.
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