Basil Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F, Gas Mark 6 (200°C.)
• Dice the mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and tear the basil leaves.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and dried oregano.
• Cut a very deep slit lengthways into the chicken, but do not cut all the way through - spread it out a bit if necessary to give you more room to work with.
• Stuff to the brim with the fillings
• Use a few cocktail sticks to hold the chicken together and place on a baking tray.
• Pour a tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar over each chicken breast.
• Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and the juices run clear.
• Remove the cocktail sticks.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• On a cutting board, salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast with approximately ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, per side.
• Slice each chicken breast horizontally along the side to create a pocket for the filling.
• Stuff each breast with approximately one third of mozzarella cheese, one tablespoon pesto and four sundried tomatoes. If the chicken breast does not close fully with the filling, try securing with a wooden toothpick.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Pan fry for about 5-8 minutes, per side, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through. Serve warm.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• For Pesto, wash basil and remove stems. In food processor mix basil, garlic, pine nuts, pepper and Parmesan. Blend until smooth and slowly add oil.
• Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Place one slice prosciutto and 1 T. pesto on chicken breast. Tuck in ends and roll jelly style. Secure with toothpicks.
• Drizzle with 2 T. lemon juice, chopped garlic and olive oil. You may either grill these or bake at 350 for 30 minute.
• While breasts are cooking make basil cream.
• Sauté shallots in butter. Add wine and bring to a boil.
• Cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup Add cream and return to boil. Cook 8- 10 minute or until sauce is reduced to 1 cup.
• Whisk continually, add tomatoes and cook 2 minute Whisk in basil and lemon.
• Cook until heated thoroughly. To thicken sauce add cornstarch mixture slowly.
• Remove toothpick and cut the chicken breasts in slices to show off the center. Drizzle the chicken with sauce.
• **Serve this with your choice of pasta and dbl the sauce, or when it's just Dereck and I, I only make 2 chicken breasts and there is enough sauce for our pasta.

Steps:

• For the chicken with sun-dried tomato pesto crust:
• For the creamy polenta:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the pesto crust:
• Blend sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves and basil leaves in a food processor. Stir in Parmesan and add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside briefly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken breast with pepper only. (The Parmesan in the pesto will provide salt.) Brown both sides of chicken, beginning with skin side first. Coat chicken with pesto and roast in oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until fork tender.
• For the polenta:
• Combine chicken stock and cream in a large heavy saucepan. Heat to a gentle boil over medium heat, being careful not to burn. While whisking constantly, gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream. Once cornmeal is incorporated, keep heat low and continue to whisk until mixture is slightly thickened and creamy. Stir in butter and Cheddar and allow cheese to melt. Season with pepper, (and salt if needed). Spoon polenta onto serving plate, top with chicken breast and garnish with chopped scallions.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients. Carefully loosen the skin on one side of each chicken breast to form a pocket; spread cheese mixture under the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken on both sides in butter and oil. , Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. , Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine wine, tomatoes, shallot, garlic and basil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced by half. Add cream and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve with chicken.

Steps:

• Cut a deep horizontal pocket in the side of each chicken breast. Make the pocket as large as you can without piercing the top or bottom of the breast. Rub pepper & salt over the breasts. Place 2 slices of tomato 1 teaspoon pine nuts and about 4 basil leaves in the pocket of each chicken breast. Secure the pocket with toothpicks threading along the side to close. Heat the oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet until it begins to smoke. Cook each side of the chicken until golden brown.
• Add the vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer the chicken for 2 or 3 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and keep in a warm oven or under a foil tent. Continue to cook the sauce until it is reduced to a thick syrup.
• Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over each chicken breast. Garnish with fresh basil.