Olive Garden Chicken Breast Stuffed W Sun Dried Tomato Pine Nut Recipes

SUN-DRIED TOMATO, PINE NUTS AND BASIL STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Cut a deep horizontal pocket in the side of each chicken breast. Make the pocket as large as you can without piercing the top or bottom of the breast. Rub pepper & salt over the breasts. Place 2 slices of tomato 1 teaspoon pine nuts and about 4 basil leaves in the pocket of each chicken breast. Secure the pocket with toothpicks threading along the side to close. Heat the oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet until it begins to smoke. Cook each side of the chicken until golden brown.
• Add the vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer the chicken for 2 or 3 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and keep in a warm oven or under a foil tent. Continue to cook the sauce until it is reduced to a thick syrup.
• Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over each chicken breast. Garnish with fresh basil.

MY VERSION OF OLIVE GARDEN STUFFED CHICKEN FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken breasts in half, the butterfly them (so you have 6 butterflied pieces of chicken).
• Mix together cheeses, sour cream, bread crumbs, garlic crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add 2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes(remove from the oil, and chop before adding). Put the mixture into the butterflied chicken.
• Dredge the chicken in about 1 C flour.
• Put some oil in a pan and sear both sides of the chicken, then remove from pan and place in a baking dish and put it in the oven for 10-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
• While that is cooking, cook the noodles according to directions.
• In another pan, mix together 1/2 C flour and 1/4 C olive oil until thick. Add half and half and chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Let it heat and thicken more.
• Take the remaining sun dried tomatoes and put them into a food processor or blender and pulverize them, then add it to the half and half sauce on the stove. Add Salt and pepper to taste. This is your sun dried tomato sauce.
• To serve, put the chicken on the plate, and put the cooked noodles next to the chicken. Add the sun dried tomato sauce on top of the pasta. Then sprinkle the chopped Roma tomatoes and spinach on top of the pasta and serve. to do like olive garden, serve with extra fresh Parmesan on top.

CHICKEN INVOLTINI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
• COMBINE stuffing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
• PLACE chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. With a mallet or the palm of your hand, slightly flatten out breasts.
• SHAPE handful of stuffing into a ball and place in center of each chicken breast.
• WRAP breast around the stuffing, starting with one side. Roll the breast, tucking the opposite side underneath. Season top of chicken breast (skin side) with salt and pepper.
• ROAST in oven for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH CHICKEN, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, GORGONZOLA AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and cool; do not clean skillet. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon tomato oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, basil, broth, cheese and prosciutto to skillet and bring to boil.
• Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts and serve.