My mom grows basil like it's nobody's business. You'd think we were selling it by the amount of pots of it we have in our backyard...and front yard. I'm not complaining though. It smells amazing. You don't even have to put your nose in it; just walk past and you get a big whiff of it's calming fragrance. Kinda just makes you wanna lie down and breathe it in. It's getting too cold outside to do that though. But what you can do when it's too cold outside, is enjoy a hot and hearty basilicious meal like this one.
Imagine this: succulent chicken stuffed with warm, gooey mozzarella cheese mixed with fresh basil and garlic, topped with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs, and surrounded by juicy tomatoes. Are you drooling yet? I was, before I dug in. And then after that, all I can remember is pure gastronomical utopia. Basil goes with just about everything, but with this chicken, it was absolutely superb. So much so that when I got my midnight munchies, I went straight for the leftovers.
Contrary to the technique used in the original recipe(cutting open a pocket in the breast), I simply pounded the chicken to thin it out and then rolled it around the filling. My favorite part was using the toothpick to seal it. I was literally looking forward to using the toothpick ever since I saw the recipe online. It's the little things in life. I'll never understand how toothpicks don't light on fire in the oven though.
I made rotini pasta with a garlic, olive oil, and basil sauce and served it on the side with the chicken. It was the perfect complement. So you know how I said that it was getting colder outside these days? Well, it just started snowing where I'm at. That's not good. Temperatures like that means all the fresh basil is going to be ruined and unusable. And everybody knows dried basil just isn't the same. But hey, let's look at the bright side. I was able to enjoy this mouthwatering chicken and even though this might have been my last time using fresh basil this year, we certainly ended on a very good note.
Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 cup shredded mozzeralla cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (divided into 9 portions)
For the topping:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup Italian flavored breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheese, basil, cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pound the chicken breast portions to an even thickness and then fill with the cheese mixture. Roll the chicken tightly around the filling and secure with toothpicks. Transfer the stuffed breasts to 8x8 inch baking dish. Spread tops evenly with mayonnaise.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.
Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish in and around the chicken. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Adapted from Let's Dish
This dish was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing! This is definitely going on my favorite recipes list. :)
ReplyDeletethanks for linking this in to Food on Friday. We are starting to get a lovely collection of tomato recipes. Do pop back in a few days and check out all the links. Cheers
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