Today’s recipe is not only tender, flavourful, and healthy it is also perfect for entertaining because the chicken breasts can be stuffed and breaded hours before a dinner party and popped into the oven an hour before eating.
This would also be a quick and easy make ahead for a weekend dinner. Simply prepare your chicken in the morning and bake when ready. The flavours of tomato, fresh basil, cheese, and balsamic vinegar in the stuffing beautifully offset tender butterflied chicken breast meat.
How to Butterfly a Chicken Breast
Remove a chicken breast from its packaging and place it on a clean cutting board with the top-side down. Remove the tenderloin with a sharp knife, then place your hand on top of the breast and cut into the thickest part of the chicken, slicing across it about halfway. Stop cutting, and open the chicken up like a book. Do not cut all the way through the breast unless you’d like to create two thinner pieces of chicken.
Starting at the end of the chicken, about an inch before the edges, run your knife from top to bottom horizontally to make a long slit in the meat. Be careful not to go all the way through. Do this every inch all along the width of the chicken breast which will cause the breast to “open up” like a fan and continue to flatten. Cover the chicken breast with plastic wrap and flatten more with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Tomato and Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 60 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped spinach
1 diced tomato
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, salt, pepper
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350
Butterfly four chicken breasts
Combine the tomato, spinach, basil, cheese, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and then spoon an even amount in the middle of each chicken breast. Wrap the breast meat around the stuffing and use small wooden skewers or toothpicks to close. Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic. Lightly wet the outsides of the chicken breasts and then generously coat in the breadcrumb mixture using your hands to press the mixture in. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet covered with tinfoil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for one hour at 350.
