Blue Cheese Pecan And Cranberry Stuffed Chicken Breasts 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.

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CRANBERRIES AND PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Toast pecans and set aside.
• Reserve 2 teaspoons each of cranberries and pecans for the sauce.
• For the stuffing, combine remaining cranberries, pecans and shredded cheese in a small bowl and mix well.
• Carefully make a slit lengthwise down the side of each chicken breast to butterfly, careful not to cup all the way through. Open chicken up and lay fat.
• Divide filling among the chicken breasts and spread over each one, then fold the top of the chicken over the filling and secure with a toothpick.
• Spread flour onto a plate.
• Lightly dredge chicken with flour.
• Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place oil and butter in the skillet and heat over medium to medium high.
• Add chicken breasts to skillet and allow to brown on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove chicken from skillet and place in a baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through.
• While chicken is baking, use the same skillet and add remaining cranberries and pine nuts.
• Add broth and bring to a light boil.
• Reduce heat and allow sauce to slightly thicken and cranberries to soften.
• Remove chicken from the oven and slice.
• Serve on a plate with sauce over top.

BLUE CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Combine 1 tablespoons butter, thyme, and blue cheese in small bowl until blended. Season with salt & pepper and set aside.
• Cut a horizontal line in the thickest side of each chicken breast to form a pocket, but not cutting all the way through.
• Stuff blue cheese mixture into pocket with small spoon.
• Place chicken in a baking dish. Season with salt & pepper. Bake 15 minutes, uncovered.
• Meanwhile melt remaining 1 tablespoons butter; stir in lemon juice and paprika. Turn chicken, brush with lemon mixture and bake additional 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (use thermometer in unstuffed area).

CRANBERRY-GORGONZOLA STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a small bowl, combine cheese and cranberries. Spoon 1/4 cup cheese mixture down the center of each chicken breast. Roll up and secure with toothpicks., Place walnuts and parsley in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl; stir in the bread crumbs, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine eggs and mustard. Place flour in a third shallow bowl. Coat chicken with flour, then dip in egg mixture and coat with walnut mixture., Place seam side down in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Discard toothpicks.

STUFFED CHICKEN IN A BLUE CHEESE AND PECAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Pound the chicken to 6 mm in thickness. Cut a slit in the side of each escalope to form a pocket. Season the inside of the pocket with salt and pepper.
• Mix the remaining stuffing ingredients together and spoon into the pickets, pressing in with the back of a spoon.
• Cook in a pan until the chicken is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter for the sauce in a pan and add the flour. Cook for 1 minute and gradually stir in the milk and wine. Bring to the boil until the sauce thickens.
• Add the cheese, pecans, watercress and yoghurt, and heat gently until the cheese has melted.
• Remove the chicken from the steamer and place on a warmed serving plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve garnished with lemon and watercress.

SUNNY'S EASY CHEESE AND CRANBERRY STUFFED CHICKEN WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Make and freeze the stuffing: Mash together the goat cheese, shredded cheese, cranberries, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl with a fork. (You can use your hands to mix it really well.) Taste a 'lil bit and add a pinch of salt if needed. Divide the cheese mixture into four sections and shape into torpedo-like logs a bit shorter than the length of the chicken breasts. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Prepare the chicken: Use a paring knife to cut a pocket into the short, fat end of a chicken breast, that will run through much of the length of the breast, without cutting all the way through. It may take a few strokes with the knife. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Remove the stuffing from the freezer and insert one log in each pocket. If necessary, trim the logs to fit into the pockets. Secure the openings with toothpicks.
• Season and grill the chicken: Preheat the grill for direct and indirect grilling at 350 degrees F and oil the grates.
• Brush olive oil on the chicken and sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken over the direct heat of the grill and cook until a peek beneath reveals grill marks, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and place over the indirect heat of the grill to finish. Remove when a check with a thermometer shows the chicken to be at around 155 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with aluminum foil for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature of the chicken should increase to 165 degrees F.
• Make the glaze: Combine the chicken stock, cranberries, honey, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, transfer to plates, and serve each with a spoon of glaze over the top.