Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

Is your mouth watering yet?

Mine is just remembering how delicious this was! 

This is a recipe I actually used to make back in America, thanks to Kraft Foods inspiration. I don't know why it never dawned on me to make it here, because it was one of our favorite chicken dishes back home. I finally got around to it last week though!

The great thing about this recipe is that it's also very adaptable. This version is stuffed with broccoli, cheddar cheese, and bacon. But you could easily switch that up for spinach and cheese, or even tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Lots of possibilities! 

I have a culinary love affair with Panko bread crumbs. They make things so crispy and beautifully golden. I haven't seen them in India before, but when we were in Bangladesh, they magically had them so I picked up a few bags. However, you can just use regular breadcrumbs, and skip the step of browning the chicken in the oil and put it directly into the oven. 

Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits (I used premade bacon bits from America, but you could actually fry and chop bacon)

1 cup of Panko bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs)

1 egg, beaten

3 TBS olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (375 F)

Cut a pouch into each chicken breast, by cutting a slit in the side of each piece of chicken, but don't cut all the way through or to the ends. Alternatively, you can pound out the chicken and then roll the stuffed chicken, but you should increase the cooking time then. 

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Stuff each chicken breast with a fourth of the broccoli, cheese, and bacon. Secure with several toothpicks to keep the stuffing inside.

Dip the chicken breasts into the beaten egg, and then into the Panko breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken in the oil until the breadcrumbs are browned, about 3 minutes per side. The goal here is just to brown and crisp the Panko breadcrumb coating, not to actually cook the chicken through. (Again, if you are using regular bread crumbs, skip this step)

Line an oven safe dish with foil, and spray with cooking spray. Place each chicken breast in the pan, and then bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove toothpicks before serving.

I served this with some sauteed veggies, and oven roasted potatoes. A+ meal!