DESCRIPTION
This stuffed chicken is one of those recipes that looks fancy but is actually really easy to pull together. It’s quick to prep, goes straight into the oven, and has a pretty presentation that’s perfect for date night. The recipe calls for two 6–7 ounce chicken breasts, but if you have really large ones, you can use just one. Cut it in half diagonally, then butterfly each half before stuffing.
Enjoy! – Christine 🙂
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 spears of asparagus, trimmed
- 2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 tsp. lemon zest*
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, divided
- 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 2 (6-7 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, Swiss cheese, lemon zest, 1/8 tsp. of the garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.
- Carefully slice a chicken breast horizontally, almost all the way through, but stop before cutting it in half completely. Open the chicken breast like a book so you have a flat, larger surface. Repeat with second chicken breast.
- Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the inside of each opened chicken breast. Place 3 asparagus spears on one side of each chicken breast. Fold the other side of the chicken breasts over the asparagus, enclosing the filling inside. They should now look like stuffed chicken pockets with asparagus tips poking out. Arrange stuffed chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the oil until well-combined. Divide the breadcrumb mixture over the tops of the stuffed chicken breasts, pressing down lightly to help it stick.
- Bake until an instant read thermometer stuck right into the center of a piece of chicken reads 165°F and the breadcrumbs are browned, 23 to 27 minutes. If breadcrumbs get too brown before chicken is cooked, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
- Transfer chicken off of baking sheet and let rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve each portion whole, or slice perpendicular to the asparagus spears for a pretty presentation showing chicken dotted with asparagus.
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