Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts

As promised, blog post 2 of 3! Since you're such a huge fan of mine, you know that Saturday morning I made myself a delicious and filling breakfast so I had no appetite until 6:00 PM which, coincidentally, is when I was making dinner for two of my good friends at their new place.

Since I was cooking for them as a housewarming gift, I let them pick the menu: Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Corn. I will begin by saying I've never made stuffed chicken breasts so everything I did was pure intuition. Isn't that neat? After 3 years I have cook's intuition! Anyway, Natalie and Sharron both said everything was delicious and they couldn't believe I'd never cooked for them before. I absolutely adore those compliments!

Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts

3 chicken breasts, butterflied, halved and pounded thin
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 C breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

Steam broccoli florets for 4-5 minutes and set aside.

Preheat oven for 350. After your chicken has been pounded thinly using a mallet, season both sides with salt and pepper. Line the center of the now thinner chicken breasts with 4-5 broccoli florets and top with shredded cheddar. Now here's where things get tricky, gently roll the chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks.

Using a basting brush, coat with beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Line a baking sheet with foil and liberally coat with cooking spray. Evenly place chicken breasts on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake the chicken breasts for 20 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear.

This recipe yielded 6 perfectly portioned stuffed chicken breasts that Natalie and Sharron both enjoyed! Now before you get your panties in a bunch, I made myself broccoli-cheddar stuffed portabella mushroom caps.

Portabella Mushroom Caps

3 Portabella Mushroom Caps, cleaned and stems removed
1/2 C broccoli crowns
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 C breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season mushroom caps with salt and pepper. Using any broccoli that hasn't been stuffed into chicken breasts, layer on top of the mushroom caps and top with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs.

I baked the mushrooms at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

The mushrooms were tender, flavorful and utterly delicious.

My mashed potato recipe you can find right here

Everything looked utterly fantastic (if I do say so myself). Enjoy the recipes and stay tuned for Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos (I'm about to write the recipe so it won't be like the promised salmon).