How could anyone resist a stuffed chicken breast? Well, certainly not me! Especially when it's stuffed with my favorite pesto and fresh melty mozzarella.
Yes. I'm allowed to say 'melty' here because it's oh-so-fitting.
A few weeks ago I had this amazingly delicious caprese style salad with smoked chicken breast and some sort of lemon pesto involved. I sort of based this stuffed chicken off that idea by adding some lemon zest into the breading mix.
The addition of the lemon definitely adds a new dimension of flavor to the chicken here, so you'll want to be sure not to leave that out!
I made this dish lighter by using my own Skinny Spinach & Basil Pesto along with a bit less cheese. Other than that, there's really not a whole lot else that can be further done to 'healthify' this dish.
Since I ended up with half of the breadcrumbs left over and about half of the egg too, I discounted that much from the nutritional information below. So if you use it all, you'll want to be sure to update the calculations accordingly.
I served this over a bed of baby spinach, along with some julienned sun dried tomatoes and a lemon wedge for garnish. This made for a perfectly light and filling dinner, though it would also be a great lunch time option if made ahead!
It actually re-heats in the microwave pretty well for a wonderful and tasty leftover.
Skinny Pesto & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/2 Rolled Chicken Breast • Calories: 234.9 • Fat: 10.7 g • Carb: 6.6 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Protein: 27.6 g • Sugar: 0.7 g • Sodium: 496.5 mg
Ingredients:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Or about 2 lb. total.)
4 Tbsp. Skinny Spinach & Basil Pesto
2 Oz. Fresh Mozzarella (I sliced mine lengthwise.)
1 Large Egg
1/2 C. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
1 Lemon, Zested
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. and lightly spray the inside of a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
Pound the chicken breasts out to flatten to be about 1/4" thick.
I like to place mine into a large ziplock bag when doing this to keep from raw chicken juice spattering out everywhere.
Spread the pesto over each flattened chicken breast.
Top with the fresh mozzarella.
Tightly roll the chicken breasts up with the pesto and mozzarella inside.
Combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and some salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Set up your 'dredging' station by whisking the egg in a small bowl and setting it up near your breadcrumb mixture.
Dip each chicken breast into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs to coat evenly.
Place the rolled up chicken seam side down on the prepared baking dish.
I usually pierce mine through with a toothpick or two, just to be sure they don't unroll at all.
Place the chicken into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through.
Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing.
I cut each of my rolled up breasts into four slices; making two slices in a serving.
Serve warm right away and enjoy!
