Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Stuffed Chicken

Amen, Friday is finally here! This was one very, very long week for me.  Maybe it was because it was the first week back to the school grind after spring break, the intense graduation fever that has kicked in, or the insane amount of work I had to do this week - but I am exhausted.

To pick me up and drag me through Friday, I made an easy but fantastic meal that is both healthy and delicious.  Since I am still trying to use up that feta I bought at Sam's and the Bacon & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts were such a great hit, I decided to make a variation on the theme since it was so well received last time!

One of my all time favorite flavors is Roasted Red Pepper, just thinking about it is making me almost drool into my keyboard.  The smoky, rich flavor it imparts into a dish is simply at the top of my list.  So why not stuff a chicken breast with it? Sounded like a good idea to me!

Notes:

• I paired this with my Roasted Broccoli, if you have never tried it - TRY IT TONIGHT! You will regret every day you did not eat it.
• I also served this over a bed of rice pilaf, mostly because I am a rice junkie.  Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice pilaf is the best I have found, even better than homemade recipes I've tried.
•  If you think your sauce is too sweet, feel free to squeeze any remaining lemon juice into the sauce. Although, I did not intend for this to have a strong lemon flavor, there is certainly nothing wrong with a little punch in the sauce.
• Depending on your chicken, you may need to add a little more or less flour based on the juices present.  You want a light gravy consistency to your sauce, so adjust accordingly.
• Butterflying a chicken breast can be done by simply slicing through the side of the chicken breast.  You do not want to cut it into two pieces, but rather open up the breasts.
• Some of the feta and peppers fell out of my chicken, hence the little lumpiness you see in the sauce in the pictures.

Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Stuffed Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 c. Feta, crumbled
1/3 c. Roasted Red Pepper, diced
1 T. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1 Small Lemon, cut into wedges
1/2 Onion, sliced thin - medium
1/2 c. Dry White Wine
1 t. Garlic, minced

1/2 c. Chicken broth
2 T. Flour


Preheat the oven to 400.

Take each chicken breast, butterfly it, and then separate the halves.  If it is still very thick, place a layer of plastic wrap on top of it and beat it until it is thinner.  Repeat for all of the chicken breast halves.

Mix the feta crumbles and the diced pepper together in a small bowl. Take one chicken breast half and place a generous portion of the feta mixture in the center of the cutlet.  Fold the chicken around the feta mixture and secure the closure with a toothpick. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast.  Repeat for all of the chicken breast halves.

In an oven proof skillet, over medium - high heat, pour in the olive oil and let it get hot.  Place all of the chicken into the skillet, seams down. Arrange the onion and lemons around the chicken.  Cook the chicken until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.  Turn the chicken breasts and roast in the oven for 14-16 minutes.

Once the chicken is done, remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken onto a plate and cover to let it rest and regain its juices.

Place the skillet back onto a burner over medium - high heat.  Add in the wine and garlic and stir to deglaze the pan, scrapping up any brown bits. Add the broth and flour, stirring until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  Add any juices that collect under the chicken.

Place the chicken back into the sauce and serve.

My dear friend KK has become quite a routine follower here on One Hungry Hog and here is the first dish she made from the site! Looks like she did a GREAT job!