Caprese Stuffed Chicken

Week two of my crazy once a week nice meal goal. I'm not really sure what to call it. Any suggestions?

Anyway, I made up my own recipe this week for the main dish. Caprese stuffed chicken breast. Let me tell ya, it was delish. Again, I don't have a specific recipe because I eyeball things and go with my gut most of the time. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesn't.

My veggie, Panchetta Wrapped Green Beans, was based off a recipe I found on Pinterest. The recipe was for bacon wrapped green beans but I found Panchetta on sale and thought it'd be just as delicious with a milder smoked flavor. I was right.

Caprese Stuffed Chicken

Basic Ingredients:

• Chicken breast
• Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil
• Garlic cloves
• Mozzarella ball - I used the real stuff, but I'm sure pre-grated would work.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive Oil

(you'll need some flour and a few spices if you choose to dredge your chicken before cooking)



First, flatten your chicken. This is one of my favorite parts. Any pent up aggression or anger gets released into a productive activity. Flatten it out until its between 1/4-1/2 inches thick. I like mine thinner but if you go too crazy, you'll pulverize it and your chicken will fall apart - done it.

After your chicken is pounded out, mix up your filling. In a bowl, mix together some of the sun dried tomatoes, basil leaves (I chiffonade mine, but you can chop or mince them if you'd like), and a clove of minced garlic. Stir it together and drizzle in a little olive oil and balsamic. Again, depending on the flavors you like, how strong you want it and how much filling you want stuffed in your chicken, do what you like.





Slice your mozzarella in circles and in half again. Open your chicken and put in a portion of your filling then top with cheese slices. Fold the chicken over and use toothpicks to secure it.




If you like your chicken crispy, you can dredge it in some flour (I added some salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika) then fry it in some olive oil for 5 minutes on each side.

Move the pieces of chicken to a roasting pan and bake for an additional 15 minutes (or until the juices run clear). Technically, 350 works but since my green bean bundles baked at 400, I just did it in there and they were fine. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

***I made a balsamic reduction to drizzle over the chicken before serving it. If you want to do this, just take about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and a couple spoonfuls of sugar. Heat over medium until bubbly and whisk it until it reduces by about half. Just drizzle it over the chicken before serving. 

Panchetta Wrapped Green Beans


Basic Ingredients:

• Fresh green beans
• Panchetta (or bacon)
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Garlic Powder

Cut the ends off your green beans and boil for about 7 minutes. Drain them and let them cool off enough that you can touch them without burning yourself. Separate them into bundles of however many you need. I made 4. Then just wrap the beans in a couple slices of Panchetta - just use one piece of bacon if you're using that. Secure the meat around the beans with a toothpick.

Put the bundles in an oven-safe pan, crack a little pepper over them and bake them for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

While they're baking, you can make a quick little glaze for them. Take 1/4 cup brown sugar, a couple tablespoons of soy sauce and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Heat it over medium heat until bubbly and stir it until the sugar is dissolved. When it's done, pour it over the top of your bundles and continue baking.