As I was reading through a list of All Food’s Best Recipes, I realized I had all these ingredients on hand without a trip to the store! Which is perfect for a stormy Sunday. This is one of those dishes that appear much more difficult to make than they are. Tasty, attractive, and all you need is potatoes, cous-cous, or rice to complete the meal.
Chicken:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 filets
3/4 tsp. EACH dried oregano and dried basil
1/2 tsp. EACH garlic powder and onion salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
Stuffing:
12-15 spears asparagus, trimmed
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
Lemon Butter Sauce
2-3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, combine together dried herbs, garlic powder, onion salt, paprika, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place each chicken breast on a flat surface. With you hand supporting each piece, cut a slit or pocket about 3/4 of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way through. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season chicken all over and inside the pockets with the seasoning mix. Rub with 2 tsp. of olive oil to evenly coat.
In the same bowl the seasoning was in, toss asparagus with 2 tsp. of the olive oil, minced garlic and red pepper flakes, if using. Stuff each chicken breast with 3-4 asparagus spears and 2 slices mozzarella cheese. Seal chicken breasts with two or three toothpicks near the opening to seal.
Heat remaining Tbs. of oil in an oven-proof skillet or non-stick pan oven medium-high heat. Sear chicken until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. For the sauce, add lemon juice, butter and minced garlic to the pan around the chicken.
Cover and bake for 12-15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.( Internal temp 155 degrees) . Serve with lemon pan juices Serve 4.
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