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Is there anything better than a dish that is so simple to make, but wows the people around you into thinking you slaved away in the kitchen? This bacon gouda stuffed chicken is one of those recipes for me. Oozing with melty cheese, crisp bacon, and a few other surprised like pesto and sun dried tomatoes, this is not your ordinary chicken recipe.
I truly believe chicken breast is the single most consumed protein in my house. It’s so versatile and great for all of the picky eaters in my family. You can fry it, mix it with pasta, stick it on a sandwich, or use it to top a salad. But as many ways as I can use it, sometimes I find myself falling into the trap of the same old recipes. So this bacon gouda stuffed chicken is the perfect recipe to shake me out of that routine.
Butterflying the Chicken
This recipe starts with the most humble of ingredients, 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast (4 breasts). Typically a pretty thick cut of meat, in order to stuff it, we need to use a technique called butterflying. You will want to begin with a sharp knife. We want to slice, not saw the chicken. Next, slice into the chicken lengthwise, dividing it half. Do not cut all the way through, you will want to stop about a half-inch from the opposite side, so the chicken opens up like a book.
Chances are the chicken will still be thicker in parts then others. Using a mallet, rolling pin, or even a saucepot, pound the chicken out so it is an even thickness throughout. Next, season both sides with 1 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. From here, you can stuff or roll anything you want in the chicken.
Stuffed Chicken
Now it is time to stuff the butterflied chicken. You can stuff chicken breast with just about anything you can think of, from broccoli to ham and cheese to chorizo. In this recipe, though, we will be using just a few simple, but flavor packed ingredients. To start, spread 1 tbsp of sun dried tomato pesto on each of the chicken breast. Next, top one half of each breast with:
- 2 tbsp shredded gouda
- 2 strips of cooked bacon
- 1/4 cup of baby spinach leaves
- 1oz julienned sun dried tomatoes
Fold the breasts in half and insert 2-3 toothpicks in each breast to secure the chicken stays closed. Brown the chicken in a large, oven-safe saute pan for about 3-4 minutes per side. The chicken will not be cooked all the way through. Place the entire saute pan in a 375 oven for 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 3-5 minutes, and then it is ready to serve! Serve with alfredo pasta, potatoes, over creamy risotto, or on top of a leafy green salad.
Want More Chicken Recipes
- Teriyaki Chicken And Veggie Kebabs
- Chicken Kale Caesar Salad
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
- Salsa Fresca Chicken
- Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken
- Avocado California Chicken
Bacon Gouda Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast 4 breasts
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- ½ tbsp paprika
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup sun dried tomato pesto
- ½ cup shredded gouda
- 1 cup spinach
- 4 oz sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°
- In a large oven-safe saute pan, cook bacon until crisp.
- Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken breast by cutting it in half length-wise to open like a book. Do not cut all the way through
- Using a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy sauce pan, gently pound out the chicken so it is a consistent thickness throughout.
- Season both sides of the breasts with onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
- Lay each breast flat and spread 1oz of the pesto on the chicken. Top one half with 2 tbsp of shredded cheese and 2 strips of bacon. Top the other half with 1/4 spinach leaves and 1 tbsp of sundried tomatoes
- Fold the chicken in half, inserting toothpicks to keep the breast folded and the filling inside.
- In the same pan used for the bacon, brown the chicken breast, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Insert the entire pan into the oven to continue cooking, 10-15 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°
- Allow the chicken to rest for 3-5 minutes and then serve alongside pasta, potatoes, or risotto, or over a salad
