Stuffed Chicken – 4 Ways! An Easy Meal Option

Need some new ideas for chicken? How about Stuffed Chicken – 4 Ways! SHARE away!

Stuffed Chicken – 4 Ways!

This recipe fits squarely in the Easy Meals category. The preparation for the chicken is the same, regardless of the stuffing option you choose. It’s as simple as combining the stuffing ingredients, creating a pocket and stuffing the chicken breast, then pan-browning the meat.

I decided to try the pepperoni, mozzarella, red sauce filling. Of course, I had to tweak the recipe just a little, because that’s what I do! Nothing complicated, mind you. Just some red sauce as a base for the chicken, a little melted mozzarella on top and a sprinkle of chopped basil. Everything is better with a little sauce in my book. Plus, you only use a small portion of the sauce for the filling. Why not take advantage of the additional sauce to pump up the Italian flavor? My taste buds agreed.

Get Creative!

Add your own touch with other stuffing ideas, or create a sauce that complements the flavors of the stuffing ideas provided. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

Green Olive/Almond/Dill Filling – drizzle cooked chicken with lemon butter sauceand top with freshly snipped dill

Cherry Tomato/Goat Cheese/Pine Nut Filling – drizzle cooked chicken with room temperature or gently warmed Italian salad dressing  

Bread/Apricot/Mustard Filling – stir few teaspoons of whole grain mustard into a simple white sauce and spoon onto plates, topping with cooked chicken

Green Olive/Almond/Dill Filling – drizzle cooked chicken with lemon butter sauce and top with freshly snipped dill

Stuffed Chicken – 4 Ways!

Stuffed Chicken – 4 Ways! provides 4 new ideas for making a family favorite new and interesting. 

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course

Keyword: almonds, apricots, canned tomatoes, goat cheese, lemon butter sauce, marinara sauce, mozzarella, olives, pepperoni, stuffed chicken, white sauce

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted from delish.com

Ingredients

• 4 6-8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter

Option 1

• 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella
• 30 slices pepperoni
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or oregano plus additional for garnish if desired
• 1/4 c. marinara sauce
• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella optional, for topping
• 3/4 c. marinara sauce optional, for individual servings

Option 2

• 3/4 c. chopped green olives
• 1/4 c. toasted sliced almonds
• 1 1/2 tbsp. snipped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest

Option 3

• 1/2 quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Option 4

• 1 c. finely torn French Bread or process in food processor
• 1/2 c. chopped dried apricots
• 2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. whole grain mustard

Instructions

• Starting at the top of the thickest part of each chicken breast, use a sharp paring knife to cut 2″ x 4″ pocket.
• Mix all ingredients from the selected stuffing option well and stuff into the chicken breasts, dividing evenly. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
• Melt 1 tbsp of olive oil and butter in large non stick skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts, covered for 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of chicken breast. Note – if don’t have an instant read thermometer, cut into thickest part of a breast to see if the juice runs clear and meat appears cooked.

Completing Option 1

• Turn heat down to low and top chicken breast with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella. Cover and let steam melt cheese. Warm remaining 3/4 c. marinara sauce in microwave and divide between serving plates by spreading into a circle slightly larger than the breast. Top sauce with chicken and sprinkle with additional chopped herb, if desired.