Goat Cheese and Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Recipe from Laura's friend, Rachel Steigerwald.
Rachel’s Comments: This is the perfect pesto recipe. Using it in stuffed chicken makes for a delicious weeknight meal. I often add sundried tomatoes to the chicken. Feel free to add extra fillings as you wish.
Hint: Use a cast iron pan to go straight from the stove top to the oven.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbsp creamy goat cheese
- 1 Tbsp Basil Pesto
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Basil Pesto:
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 2 cups basil leaves (fresh)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a nonstick baking pan.
Prepare Pesto: Place pine nuts in a small skillet and set pan over medium heat. Cook until nuts are golden, shaking pan frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool. In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, basil, cheese, oil, garlic and salt; process until smooth and thick. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.
Combine pesto and goat cheese in a small bowl.
Cut a horizontal slit along the long edge of a chicken breast half, almost through to the opposite side (but not all the way), creating a pocket.
Fill the pocket with goat cheese/pesto mixture.
Lightly beat egg white in medium bowl. Place beadcrumbs on dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until browned on one side (about 2 minutes). Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until fully cooked.