quick and fancy chicken

Boneless skinless chicken breasts – convenient, practical, readily available from your freezer… and boring! Seriously, sometimes I’m so sick of trying to think of new and exciting things to do with chicken breast, I nearly swear them off. But when I am honest with myself, I know that I really do like the convenience, availability, and practicality of the staple known as boneless, skinless chicken breasts. So instead of swearing them off, I decided to “fancy” them up a bit, after getting some inspiration from this lovely recipe: instant pot frozen chicken breast.

Enjoy.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Crust
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from Focaccia or French bread
1/4 cup drained and finely minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and finely ground black pepper

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water in a shallow bowl

Stuffing
1 cup marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup drained and coarsely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with Pam.

On a dinner or pie plate mix together the breadcrumbs, tomatoes, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix artichokes, cheese, tomatoes, and basil in a medium bowl. Using a small sharp knife and working with one chicken breast at a time, cut a deep and 2 to 3-inch-long slit horizontally into 1 side of the chicken breast. Move the knife back and forth in the slit to form a pocket. Divide the cheese mixture among chicken pockets. Press the edges of the chicken together to seal.

Dip each chicken breast into the egg wash, then coat with the crust mixture on all sides.

Place stuffed and breaded chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and change the oven temperature to a high broil. Lightly spray the top of the chicken with Pam and return to the oven for 1 or 2 minutes to lightly brown the top of the chicken, watch carefully taking care not to burn the top crust.

Allow chicken to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before thickly slicing each breast on a diagonal.

Serves 4