Blue Cheese Pecan And Cranberry Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipes

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.

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.

CHERRY PECAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a small sharp knife, cut a slit in each chicken breast to create a pocket about 4 inches long.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients.
• 3. Stuff each breast with one quarter of the mixture.
• 4. Season with salt and pepper.
• 5. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs and pecan chips.
• 6. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg.
• 7. Then dredge in the bread crumb mixture.
• 8. Heat a little oil in a large nonstick oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes.
• 9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

PECAN CHICKEN WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine flour and rosemary; in a separate shallow bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Place pecans in another shallow bowl. Coat chicken with flour mixture, then dip in butter mixture and coat with pecans., Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°., Meanwhile, place cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Serve with chicken.

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.

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PECANS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.
• Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.
• Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.
• Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top. Serve with rice and greens, if desired.

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.

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.

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).