This time of year always has me excited and wanting to get a little extra creative in the kitchen. When it comes to comfort foods anything creamy mixed with chicken is usually a Win! This dish was just that. I made this stuffed chicken dish for a small dinner party I hosted this week and it was a total hit!
Ingredients
Chicken:
4 pieces of chicken breast
salt & pepper
garlic salt
oregano
paprika
1 Tbs of garlic olive oil (Trader Joe’s)
1 Tbs butter
Homemade Cream of Chicken Sauce :
3 Tbs of butter
3 Tbs of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup of milk (I used 1%)
1/2 tsp of garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Stuffed Veggie Mix:
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1 cup of chopped broccolli
2 pieces of crispy bacon crumbles
Directions:
Wash chicken with water and pour a Tbs of vinegar over each chicken breast to give it a nice rinse. ( I usually do this in a strainer in the sink, leave the remaining vinegar on the chicken).
Cut a slit into each chicken breast. This is were you will stuff the chicken. Season chicken breast with spices shown above to taste. ( I didn’t measure this part, you just want to make sure each chicken breast is wells seasoned).
In a medium sauce pan melt butter & garlic olive oil on medium heat. Cook each chicken breast for 8-10 minutes on each side. This will give it a nice bronze on each side of chicken breast. ( add more butter & oil as needed).
Once all the chicken is light browned on the outside, place in a casserole dish. Something oven safe.
Oil the bottom of the dish and place half cooked chicken breast in the dish. From there take a knife and re-cut the openings you cut, before cooking the chicken on the stove top. From there, stuff each chicken breast with 3 Tbs of the veggie mixture.
Veggie Mixture Recipe:
Sauté veggies 8-10 minutes or until soft. I buy the precut and wash trio celery, onion & carrots (trader joe’s). Once this is done place in a large bowl. Make the cream of chicken mixture. Combine the sauté veggies, bacon, and cream of chicken. This will make the creamy veggie mixture.
After stuffing chicken with veggie mixture, place in casserole dish and cook on 350* for 15-20 or longer depending on the chicken breast.
*optional stuff a Tbs of cheddar cheese inside each chicken breast before putting in the oven, if desired.
I served this chicken dish over a side of mash potatoes are carrots. Rice would be great too!
**Tips for leftover veggie mixture**
Top a spoonful of veggie mixture with left overs the next day, making it extra creamy and tasty!
Mix the last bit with a package of lipton chicken noodle soup, which made a super easy and delicious lunch!
