It's always tempting to take the easy way out when preparing weeknight dinners, but sometimes it's worth it to do something just a little bit fancy. Here's an idea: stuffed chicken. All it takes is three simple steps.....
Step 1: Behold, the chicken!
Trim any excess bits off of your boneless, skinless chicken breast. Then, hold the knife horizontally and slice the chicken in half almost (but not!) all the way through.
Step 2: Stuff!
You can basically stuff a chicken breast with whatever you want, but regardless of what you choose I recommend incorporating some kind of cheese. Some stuffings will require a bit of pre-cooking: spinach, for example, should be wilted, and onions are better caramelized. On this particular evening I chose to stuff mine with spinach (wilted with a little bit of white wine) and goat cheese. The instructions are the same regardless of the stuffing you choose: put a healthy spoonful of it on the larger side of the "chicken book" and then close (you can use a little flour to seal the edges together).
At this point you can either proceed to step three, or you can refrigerate your stuffed chicken breast for up to 24 hours...making this a great recipe for nights that you have people over. They go straight from the fridge to the oven, just add an extra 5 minutes onto the cooking time.
Step 3: Roast
Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet (or other suitable roasting vehicle). Brush the top with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear (20-25 minutes if you have gone the make ahead route).
Step 1: Behold, the chicken!
Trim any excess bits off of your boneless, skinless chicken breast. Then, hold the knife horizontally and slice the chicken in half almost (but not!) all the way through.
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| The breast should open like a book with the long (straighter) side as the spine. |
You can basically stuff a chicken breast with whatever you want, but regardless of what you choose I recommend incorporating some kind of cheese. Some stuffings will require a bit of pre-cooking: spinach, for example, should be wilted, and onions are better caramelized. On this particular evening I chose to stuff mine with spinach (wilted with a little bit of white wine) and goat cheese. The instructions are the same regardless of the stuffing you choose: put a healthy spoonful of it on the larger side of the "chicken book" and then close (you can use a little flour to seal the edges together).
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| Other great stuffings include leeks, sun dried tomatoes, ham, and just about any cheese you can think of. |
Step 3: Roast
Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet (or other suitable roasting vehicle). Brush the top with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear (20-25 minutes if you have gone the make ahead route).
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| A weeknight meal that looks like a weekend meal. I served my chicken with a spinach and roasted beet salad. |
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