Farewell summer BBQ

I am seriously in the BEST mood today.  Why, you ask?  Yesterday, it was 90 degrees out and felt like summer when I went to bed and today, when I woke up....AUTUMN!  Today's high is 62 degrees and overcast.  Now, I LOVE summer, but there's something about the seasons changing that make me happy.  And autumn  is my a close second when it comes to my favorite seasons because, to me, autumn means two things....boots and yoga pants!  

Another thing I love about fall is the veggies....sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkins, root vegetables...love them all!  So look forward to seeing some recipes with those soon.  But, today I am going to share one last summer BBQ recipe.  I can't believe I haven't shared this chicken recipe yet because this one is amazing!!!  And it's very versatile, you can cook it for your beer-drinking, euchre-playing friends or you can make it for your wine-drinking, art-discussing friends too.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices, halved, and patted dry
• 4 chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (chicken needs to be thin)
• 2 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1.  In a small bowl, combine the basil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. 

2.  Transfer 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a bowl and toss in the fresh mozzarella pieces, coating the cheese with the vinaigrette. Set aside. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for the cooked chicken.

3.  Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken and tomatoes on a hot charcoal or gas grill until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of your chicken and heat of the grill).

4.  Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter. Top with the tomato slices and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. Cover the chicken with an even layer of mozzarella and tent the platter loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Mix your marinade.

Drizzle it on your mozzarella slices.  After I took this pretty picture, I gave it a good stir so that the cheese slices were coated all over.

Grill your tomatoes and chicken.  We used gorgeous yellow tomatoes from our garden.  We are awesome like that.

 Serve with the tomatoes and cheese layered on the chicken.  

This chicken is delish.  My tiny mini and I thought the tomatoes and cheese were better than the chicken. The boy minis and Mr. McGhee disagreed.  Must be a girl thing!