Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Juicy chicken stuffed with a creamy blend of cheese and broccoli are pan seared then baked to perfection.
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 ounces finely chopped broccoli (I like to buy steam-in-bag broccoli)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook the broccoli - I like to buy steam-in-bag frozen broccoli to keep things easy. Finely chop the broccoli.
- Combine the seasonings: in a small bowl combine salt, black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- Make the filling: combine softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and finely chopped broccoli.
- Prepare the chicken: trim any excess fat then use a sharp knife to make a slit in each chicken breast to make room for the filling. See instructions below for how to slit chicken for stuffed chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the seasoning blend on both sides of the chicken.
- Stuff the chicken: divide the filling equally among three chicken breasts then use a toothpick to close the slit in the chicken if needed.
- Sear on the stove - heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and sear each side for about 4 minutes.
- Cover the pan then transfer to the oven - bake for 16-18 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees.
- Rest and Serve - allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving.