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Stuffed Chicken

Hello Friends,

I have a mild obsession with stuffing chicken right now.  I guess it's because I eat so much chicken I am always looking for ways to add some fun and flavour!  I came across a delicious stuffed chicken recipe that my family enjoyed for Sunday Dinner.  A shout out to Food Network here because it belongs to Chef Michael Smith, not moi...but I give it a two thumbs up.

Pesto Stuffed Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto impressed even my picky eater who was initially none too pleased about the look of the green pesto but then loved the taste!


Photo from Food Network

Here is the recipe with my notes in purple!

The Pesto

  • 1 large bunch fresh basil
  • 1 cup pine nuts
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt
  • Olive oil (drizzle in while blending, just enough to get the desired consistency)
  • clove of garlic 

The Chicken

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 slices prosciutto (I used 4, one for each breast)
  • 12 asparagus spears

Directions

The Pesto

  1. Puree the basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic and olive oil in a food processor.
  2. Season to taste with salt.

The Chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Lay 2 (1) slices of the prosciutto flat onto a work surface, overlapping them slightly along their long edge, to form a large rectangle.
  3. Place a chicken breast lengthwise at the short end and slit it open along one side to create a wide pocket. I pounded the chicken with a mallet instead, spread pesto on the entire surface and layed in three spears of asparagus. Then wrap the prosciutto neatly around it. I secured with a toothpick. Repeat for the other 3 breasts.
  4. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down and bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. (I baked for 30 min in my countertop convection oven, then broiled for about 2 min to crisp up the prosciutto)
There is some saturated fat in the prosciutto, but it's only between 1-3 grams.  It also contains sodium because it's cured but it adds so much flavour.  Moderation!  As mentioned above, I used just one slice per serving and found it to be perfect.  The Pesto contains EVOO which is a healthy fat.
This is great for weeknight family meals or even a fancier meal with the right side dish.  I must also tell you that I ate one cold, for lunch the next day...it was possibly even better than hot!

T.

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