Italian Three Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Chicken is one of my favorite (and one of the most versatile) dinner staples. Italian spices – Rosemary, Oregano, Basil – are my favorite to cook with. And cheese makes everything one million times tastier (in my opinion). So, this recipe is the magical culmination of all those tasty and delicious elements in the kitchen. This recipe makes a large portion of this chicken, but can easily be made in smaller batches to fill your needs.
I always recommend looking for a local farmer’s market source for your chicken (and all meat). Don’t be fooled by just any label at the supermarket that says “cage free” or “free range”, the required standards for those labels are minimal. Get to know your local farmers markets and resources at Local Harvest.
INGREDIENTS:
4 large, boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in 1/2 keeping one edge intact
1/2 Stick (4 Tbsp) Butter
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
CHEESE FILLING:
2 Eggs, thoroughly whisked
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded or shaved
1 Tbsp Garlic, diced
1 small sprig of Fresh Rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped*
1 small sprig Fresh Oregano, leaves stripped and chopped
7 Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
8 stems fresh chives, chopped
Fresh Ground Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
*All fresh herbs can be substituted with dried herbs in smaller quantities- about 1 tsp per herb.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl thoroughly mix eggs, cheese, garlic and spices.
3. Place chicken pieces in a single layer in a large roasting pan or cookie sheet (line cookie sheet with foil).
4. Fold open chicken, Cut 1/2 stick butter into 8 even pats, place 2 pats of butter inside each piece of chicken.
5. Spoon cheese mixture evenly into chicken breasts. (You may have some cheese leftover that you can refrigerate and freeze for future use – it is a wonderful addition to eggs and omelettes.) Fold chicken closed over butter and cheese. Use 2-3 toothpicks in each piece of chicken to firmly hold shut.
6. Drizzle chicken with olive oil. Add freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.
7. Roast in preheated oven for about 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, 25 minutes into roasting pull chicken out of oven and push oozing cheeses back into chicken. Put back into oven for the remainder of time. Serve warm. Be sure to remove toothpicks before serving. Enjoy!
