In my college years, I used to love to eat this frozen package of broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken by Barber Foods. I never liked to eat many frozen meals, but as a college student, this was a staple! It's better than ramen and pizza diet, right? I wanted to recreate this - but fresh - and assumingly, healthier. I found this great recipe from Food Network that is similar to my college memory. You can create own variation to this, such as stuffing it with spinach, skipping the dijon sauce or the cheese, etc. Any variation will taste amazing. Overall, I am very happy with this recipe. And yes, it's much tastier than the frozen version I loved in college. However, stuffing the chicken was more time-consuming than I realized. So if you want to give this recipe your best, just make sure you're not in a rush. Bon Appetite!
Total Time: 60 min
Prep : 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere Cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk (I skipped this)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Instructions
1) Preheat the broiler and we will begin cooking broccoli first. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels. Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic.
2) Stuffing the Chicken - there are 2 methods to doing this. I choose the 2nd version, which I pulled from another recipe. Either way works!
- Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of broccoli.
- Pound the chicken thin without creating any holes. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of broccoli and then sew it closed with a toothpick.
Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer to the baking dish and put in broiler.
4) Meanwhile, combine the milk and stock in a small pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the sherry and cornstarch until smooth and pour, whisking constantly, into the sauce. Cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
5) Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut each breast in half on an angle. (I served mine whole)
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 347; Total Fat 11g (Sat Fat 5.1g, Mono Fat 3.9g, Poly Fat 1.1g) ; Protein 50g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 126.5mg; Sodium 433.5mg
Sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese
Topped with the Sherry Dijon Sauce
Served over Brown Rice
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