Pesto Stuffed Chicken With Tuscan-Style Green Beans & Mash

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil a kettle

Combine your traditional Italian pesto with a knob of butter and a generous grind of black pepper – this is your pesto butter

Tip: If your butter is not soft then microwave for a few secs or until soft to the touch but not melted

Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross along the top of your chicken breast portion[s] (be careful not to cut all the way through!) to make a pocket

Fill the pocket with the pesto butter and press it down with the back of a spoon

Add your panko breadcrumbs to a plate with a pinch of salt and pepper – this is your crumb

Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a separate plate

Coat the stuffed chicken breast portion[s] in the oil, then press into the crumb firmly to evenly coat all over – this is your breaded chicken

Transfer the breaded chicken, filling-side up, to a baking paper-lined baking tray and drizzle over a little olive oil

Put the tray in oven for 20-22 min or until golden and cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your pesto stuffed chicken

While the chicken is cooking, peel your potatoes and chop them into large, bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped potatoes to a pot with plenty of boiled water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12-15 min or until fork-tender

Once done, drain and return to the pot to steam dry

While the potatoes are cooking, trim your green beans

Peel and finely slice (don't chop!) your garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the trimmed green beans to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 min or until tender with a slight bite

Meanwhile, return the cooked potatoes to a low heat with a generous knob of butter and a splash of milk

Season with a generous pinch of salt and mash until smooth – this is your mash

Once the beans are tender, add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add a small knob of butter, your tomato paste and a splash of cold water and cook for 1-2 min or until slightly thickened – these are your Tuscan-style green beans