Redeeming the Breast.

Recently, I railed against the use of chicken breasts for their lack of flavor and versatility. That got me thinking, could you cook a chicken breast and make it taste good? I'm always up for a challenge so making a tasty chicken breast became my mission. The problem is when dealing with chicken breast you're not left with many options. Sure, I could come up with some wild marinade for the chicken and grill it but that sounded as interesting as a this season of "Lost." What I realized is that the good thing about a chicken breast is that it is a blank canvass. You can do whatever you want to it. Instead of thinking of the chicken breast as the central item of the meal, it could instead be a vessel to serve something else. What would that something else be? Stuffing.

Stuffing is not just for thanksgiving. You can stuff anything really; mushrooms, crabs, pasta shells, potatoes, whole birds, fish, peppers and so on. Why not a chicken breast then? Here's what I came up with:

Stuffed and Rolled Chicken Breasts

2 chicken breasts
2 cups multigrain bread or rolls cut into 1/2'' cubes
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced bell pepper (red or green)
1/3 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup good melting cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, brie) grated or cubed small
4 tsp of olive oil
2 tsp fresh sage chopped (or poultry seasoning)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Start by butterflying the chicken breasts. If you are unfamiliar with that term. Watch this instructional video:

How to Butterfly Chicken Breast -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

After you have butterflied the breasts use a meat tenderized (big wooden or metal hammer) to flatten the breast so it is about 1/4'' thick all the way around. It should look like this:



Set the chicken breasts aside. Place a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the bell peppers, onions, carrots and garlic and saute until tender and translucent, 4-5 mins. In a bowl mix together the bread cubes, both kinds of cheese, the vegetable mixture, the sage and the chicken broth. Once it comes together add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be moist but not overly wet. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing on each chicken breast so it looks like this:



It is important not to overfill the chicken breasts because the chicken will contract as it cooks. If there is too much stuffing it will push out of the sides of the roll during cooking. Roll the chicken breasts up much like you would a rug. You want the roll to be snug but not overly tight. Before the chicken rolls can be cooked they need to be tied. You will need 3 pieces of string or twine for each roll. Set each roll up like so:



Tie a double knot around the the breasts tight but not tight enough to force stuffing out. Just enough to keep the roll together. Cut off any excess string.



In a large skillet add the rest of the olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the rolls and brown on all sides, 15 minutes.



After the rolls have browned place them in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and the pan and place on a plate to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the rolls in half inch slices and serve as you like.