Italian Stuffed Chicken

So I’m sure I’ve said this before, but in general I think that chicken is really boring. The idea of plain chicken with steamed veggies pretty much makes me want to gag. And when I think of my college roommate who would cook plain chicken in a pan and then complain that it tasted “fleshy” I’m shocked that I ever even considered eating chicken again.

However, luckily I’ve tried a number of tasty chicken recipes, including a stuffed chicken recipe from Cooking Light that I even deemed good enough to cook for friends. When I was tasked with cooking for my good friend and her neighbors, I knew that this type of stuffed chicken would be just the thing. I changed up the ingredients a little and morphed the cooking process as well. Since I was cooking for a younger kid as well as adults, I also tried to keep it on the less spicy side (rare for me), but still come up with something elegant and crowd pleasing.

I was hoping to find something fresh and delicious at the Protland Farmer’s Market today to accompany said chicken. Unfortunately, it being the first day of its opening there wasn’t much fresh veggies and many that had been there were already sold out by the time that I made it there with my friend that I’m visiting. But I did find some great potatoes that I roasted up with some fresh thyme. More on that later…

I will say that if you ever find yourself in Portland you should visit the Market, fresh veggies or not. I found more than enough delicious things to spend my money on and even a few things that convinced me that I should check my bag on the way home (more than 3 oz. of liquids). A few of my exciting purchases that you may be hearing more about soon if all goes well:
Hawaiian Pepper Jelly by Rose City Pepperheads
Delicious spelt bread by Dave’s Killer Bread
A great cabernet from Basket Case Winery

Quite honestly, I can’t even remember anything else. Which will make it so much more exciting when I finally dig through my bag and find it…

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serves 4

4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese (I used a 4 type mix from the store)
1/2 cup basil, thinly sliced
3 oz ready to eat sun dried tomatoes, sliced (if yours aren’t ready to eat, make sure you follow the soaking directions first)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used this great pickled garlic from the farmer’s market, which is a little more miled. If you don’t have this then I’d use more like 2 cloves)
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Preaheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together cheese through garlic in a medium bowl.

Take chicken breasts and cut a small “pocket” slit into the thickest part using a paring knife. I find it easiest to hold the breast in place with my hand on top and then slice horizontally leaving some flesh in tact at the back and the the two end to form the pocket. I’ll even wedge my knife into the corners a little to make it even more pocket-like and allow me to get the stuffing flavors throughout.

Stuff ¼ of stuffing mixture into each breast. Season each side with generous amounts of salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown breast for 4 min on each side or until medium-brown.

Place the breasts in a glass casserole dish. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through (I checked for doneness by placing a small slit in the thickest part of the breast and checking for pink).