Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken
I was going to make a standard chicken-and-broccoli casserole for after church. I was. Then, the kitchen muse got ahold of me. “Why make another casserole when you could make stuffed chicken?” she asked. I saw her point.
My husband knows this is bad. Not all kitchen muse inspired recipes come out well. He’s a patient guy, though, and sometimes he gets rewarded for it. Like today.
Because gooey cheddar cheese and broccoli florets wrapped in juicy garlic butter chicken kind of rock. It was so easy too! I’ve seen stuffed chicken recipes floating around and thought they looked kind of hard, but once I took the plunge, making the roll only took about 5 minutes. I’ve done longer prep on things that look much, much less pretty at the end. This recipe really does give you bang for your buck.
Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 thick chicken breasts
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- ½ cup broccoli florets chopped
- 1 tsp garlic
- 2 Tbsp butter cut into 1/2 Tbsp pieces
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
- On cut side, place a slice of cheese and cover with a layer of broccoli.
- Roll breasts and insert a toothpick through the center to hold roll while cooking.
- Place on greased or lined baking sheet.
- Spear 1/2 Tbsp butter on toothpick. Sprinkle garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper over rolls.
- Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160°
Notes
Chopping the broccoli florets really, really small helps them stay inside the roll.
Have your toothpicks out of the box and ready to go so you don't contaminate the box with your raw chicken fingers.
Stuffed chicken goes great with this easy risotto.
High Praise for the Meat Thermometer
Because I was following the muse, I did not take pictures of my process. I’ll update with those at a later date. Instead of showing you how I did things, I’d like to take this space to clue you in about on of my favorite kitchen gadgets: the meat thermometer.
My husband bought one of these on a whim, and I kind of figured it would just sit, unused, in the back of the kitchen drawer. Not so.
I’m a decent cook, but I spent 10 years as a vegetarian, so I came late to the party with the whole meat thing. Knowing whether or not meat is fully done has always been a challenge for me. I had a tendency to overcook things – especially chicken – and end up with rubbery or tough meals whose flavor were lost in the awful texture. I literally have not had that problem since I started using the thermometer. I get juicy, restaurant-quality meat every time.
There are very few gadgets that have had an actual effect on my cooking, so you won’t see this kind of post often, but the meat thermometer definitely earned these lines of praise. If you haven’t already invested in one of these puppies, consider purchasing one. They’re really cheap, and kind of amazing. This is the brand I own, and it works like a charm (Note: This is not an affiliate link. I do not get any compensation if you buy anything. I just really like this product!).
Anyway, back to the stuffed chicken. Since cheddar broccoli stuffing is such a success, I’ve been thinking of where this could lead. Mozzarella, tomato sauce, and pepperoni stuffed chicken? Pepper jack and jalapeno stuffing? Salsa stuffing? The possibilities are endless, but my imagination is giving out. Anybody out in internet land have any ideas? Leave them in the comments, because I’m looking to up my stuffed chicken game!
Don’t forget to pin!
