poultry essentials: stuffed chicken breasts

How To Make poultry essentials: stuffed chicken breasts

• 
  1

  PREP/PREPARE
• 
  2

  Chef’s Note: Okay, I just finished making a big pot of homemade chicken soup for tonight’s soiree, and I looked over and saw two lonely chicken breasts staring at me. So, I said: What the heck (I actually did say that). Normally, feta and spinach are used to stuff boneless/skinless chicken breasts that have been pounded flat and rolled up. I did not wish to do that, so I decided to see what would happen if I stuffed bone in, skin on chicken breasts, and I am glad that I did. The bone and the skin kept the chicken super moist during the baking process, and the feta and spices permeated the chicken with delightful flavor.
• 
  3

  Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 
  4

  THE STUFFING
• 
  5

  Add the butter and grapeseed oil to a pan over medium heat.
• 
  6

  When the foaming subsides, add the yellow onion.
• 
  7

  Stir until softened, about 2 - 3 minutes.
• 
  8

  Add the garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
• 
  9

  Add the spinach and the sunflower seeds.
• 
  10

  Stir until the spinach wilts, and most of the water is evaporated, about 3 – 5 minutes.
• 
  11

  Take off the heat, and stir in the feta, and season with a bit of salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• 
  12

  THE CHICKEN
• 
  13

  Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 400f (205c).
• 
  14

  Carefully separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken breast.
• 
  15

  Use a paring knife to slice a generous pocket into the chicken breast.
• 
  16

  Stuff the pocket with the spinach mixture.
• 
  17

  Cover the top of the chicken with more spinach mixture.
• 
  18

  Pull the skin back over the chicken breast.
• 
  19

  Brush with some olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 
  20

  Place the chicken breasts into a baking dish, skin side up.
• 
  21

  Put into the preheated oven, and bake until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165f (75c), about 35 – 40 minutes.
• 
  22

  Chef's Tip: The amount of time that it takes to cook your chicken is dependent on the thickness of the breast. I have had chicken that took over 90 minutes.
• 
  23

  Chef’s Tip: If you do not have an instant-read thermometer, cook the chicken until the juice run clear, when pricked.
• 
  24

  PLATE/PRESENT
• 
  25

  Serve while nice and hot with your favorite side dishes. Enjoy.
• 
  26

  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
• Printable Recipe Card