Best Pecan Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Cream Cheese And Broccoli Recipes

PECAN-STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Lay out a 15-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Lay a butterflied chicken breast, cut side up, on the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over to cover. Using a meat pounder, pound out the thicker parts of the breast so that it's uniformly thick. Fold the plastic wrap open and brush the chicken breast with the molasses; season with generous pinches of fennel, salt and pepper. (This will be the inside part of the breast that gets stuffed.) Fold the plastic wrap back over and flip the breast over. Fold plastic wrap open and season the other side of the breast with salt and pepper. (This is the outside that will later get seared in the pan.) Re-cover with the plastic wrap and place on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Remove a butterflied breast from the plastic wrap. Place it on a cutting board, molasses-side up. Place 1/4 cup of the filling on half of the chicken breast. Fold over the other half to enclose the filling. Using a bamboo skewer, close up the opening by threading the skewer through one end of the opening to the other to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add the wine, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and poach until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove the skewers, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, turn up the heat on the poaching liquid to medium, add the crushed red pepper, and let simmer until thickened and reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Strain the sauce into a small pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
• To serve: Slice the chicken, if desired, and arrange on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, with extra sauce on the side.

PECAN CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• To Make Broccoli/Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the lemon juice, butter or margarine, garlic, basil and pimento until butter or margarine has melted. Add the 1 cup pecans, broccoli and onion and cook until broccoli is tender; then add the sour cream and cream cheese and mix all together until smooth. Let cool, cover and refrigerate to chill for 30 minutes.
• Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the broccoli/cream cheese filling in the center of each chicken breast, roll up, tuck in sides and fasten with toothpicks. Put the egg beat in a shallow dish or bowl, and mix the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup pecans together in another shallow dish or bowl. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg, then in the pecan mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute coated chicken rolls in skillet until well browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes each side. Place browned rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and chicken meat is white. Serve with a small portion of leftover broccoli/cream cheese mixture on top of each chicken breast.

PECAN-CRUSTED STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thick (a meat mallet or wooden spoon works well). Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle the goat cheese lengthwise on one half of each breast; then sprinkle with dill, orange zest and more salt and pepper. Fold in the short ends--like folding a burrito--then, starting on the half with cheese, roll up into a tight cylinder. Close the seams with toothpicks.
• Whisk the eggs in a wide, shallow dish. In a separate dish, combine the breadcrumbs and ground pecans. Sprinkle the stuffed chicken with salt and pepper. Dip in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture; shake off excess breading.
• Place the breaded chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and spray with coconut oil. Bake to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Remove the toothpicks. Serve garnished with dill sprigs.

PECAN ENCRUSTED STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bring water and butter to a boil in a saucepan; stir in stuffing mix. Cover and remove saucepan from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed, 5 minutes; fluff stuffing with a fork.
• Place flour in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Combine bread crumbs, pecans, salt, and pepper together in a third bowl.
• Fill each chicken breast with 1/4 of the stuffing and a provolone cheese slice. Roll each chicken breast around the filling; tie kitchen twine around each rolled breast to keep closed.
• Coat each chicken roll in flour; dip each chicken roll into whisked eggs. Press each chicken roll in the bread crumb-pecan mixture until fully coated.
• Pour canola oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch and heat until little wisps of smoke rise from the oil.
• Fry coated chicken in the hot oil until crust is lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CHEESY BROCCOLI-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat an 8-inch square casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Combine broccoli, Cheddar cheese, rice, and onion in a medium bowl. Add salt and garlic granules; mix well.
• Cut a deep pocket into each chicken breast with a sharp knife. Stuff each breast with broccoli-cheese mixture, place in the prepared casserole, and sprinkle with poultry rub. Cover casserole with aluminum foil.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).