Stuffed Chicken Breast

Over the years, I’ve seen many, many pictures of delicious meals such as chicken cordon bleu, braciola (Italian stuffed beef), and several varieties of stuffed pork tenderloin. The pictures always made my mouth water, and most recipes seemed fairly straightforward, save one thing: my lack of a meat mallet. Marriage to the rescue! When my husband and I got married, a meat tenderizer was among our presents. Three plus years later, I finally used it while making a simple baked stuffed chicken dish! I used ingredients I already had on hand and topped the chicken off with a simple breadcrumb mix for a nice crispy accent.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

~1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

~1 cup feta cheese

~1½ - 2 cups fresh spinach

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

For breadcrumb topping

~¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

~¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp garlic powder

dash of ground pepper, thyme, marjoram

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the filling: Place cheese, spinach, and minced garlic in bowl. Microwave on high for 1 - 1½ minutes in ~30sec bursts to wilt spinach and soften cheese, stirring in between.

To make the breading: Combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Season with garlic powder, thyme, marjoram, and ground pepper.

Assembly: Butterfly chicken breasts and use the flat side of a meat mallet to tenderize/thin the chicken to about ½ inch thick. Spread filling on one side, roll up and secure ends closed with toothpicks, and place on a baking sheet.

Finishing: Sprinkle the tops of the chicken rolls with breading mixture. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Remove the toothpicks, slice and enjoy!

~Karla

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