O!O Stuffed Chicken

One of my favorite restaurants in Gainesville serves an amazing stuffed chicken breast over pasta, and I was craving it this weekend, so Monday night I went for it. Mine's probably a little healthier because I'm pretty sure they fry it before baking it for the extra crispy coating, but I was really happy with ours. I also cut down on the goat cheese, since it's not one of my favorite cheeses. Next time, I'll mix up the stuffing and do basil, feta and cranberries, but tonight was a rich goat cheese with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes over linguine with roasted asparagus and onions. I used some of my favorite Chicken spice rub from the spice company in St. Augustine for some great flavor, and I was really happy with how it turned out. It was moist and flavorful and the perfect monday night dinner to accompany watching Sunday night's Dexter.



For the Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup spinach leaves
handful sundried tomatoes - soaked in hot water to soften
2 tbl goat cheese
2 cloves garlic
thyme, oregano, S&P, or your fave chicken rub
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs seasoned with garlic powder and S&P

Prepare the filling first. Saute garlic and sundried tomatoes in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes, then add spinach leaves for a minute or two until just wilted.



Remove from heat, stir in the goat cheese and set aside.


Pound the chicken breast to 1/4 inch thick with a meat tenderizer. Then spread the filling near one end of the chicken breast. Roll up the breast so filling is completely contained.


Set up a shallow bowl for the eggs and a plate of bread crumbs, then dip the breast in the egg wash, then in the panko bread crumbs, and place seam side down in a baking dish.


Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375, then uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes until crust is crunchy and golden.


While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.

Red Cream Sauce
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 14-oz can tomato puree
1/4 cup cream
tsp each of thyme, oregano, rosemary

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add in the tomato puree and bring to a heavy simmer. Add in the seasonings and stir. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let simmer while chicken bakes. When ready to serve, pour in the cream and stirl for 2-3 minutes.
Boil up the noodles and once they're al dente, drain and add to the sauce, and top with some shaved parmesana.


I also roasted some veggies tonight, so when you uncover the chicken to bake for 15 more minutes, throw in the veggies.
I lopped off the tough end of some asparagus, thickly sliced an onion, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread it all out on a baking sheet and roast.