Description
A delicious Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts filled with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh asparagus, baked to perfection and topped with a vibrant homemade basil-spinach pesto.
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 16 asparagus spears, ends trimmed off
- 8 oz low moisture mozzarella, sliced
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- Paprika, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
For the pesto:
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup spinach, packed
- ¼ cup olive oil (or more depending on your preferred consistency)
- 2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts (or walnuts, pistachios, pepitas, etc.)
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Make the pesto. Combine basil, spinach, olive oil, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth, adjusting olive oil quantity to reach your desired consistency.
- Prep the chicken. Lay chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Cut a slit horizontally about ¾ through each breast to create a pocket. Season both sides generously with paprika, salt, and cracked black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil. Once hot, sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking dish.
- Stuff the chicken. Fill each chicken breast pocket evenly with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, and asparagus spears. Secure with toothpicks if desired to prevent filling from spilling out during baking.
- Bake the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the cheese inside is melted. Check halfway through to ensure the sun-dried tomatoes are not burning; if they begin to darken too much, lightly cover the baking dish with foil and continue baking.
- Garnish and serve. Remove toothpicks if used. Add a dollop of pesto on top of each chicken breast or spread the pesto evenly over the entire chicken before serving.
Notes
- Store-bought pesto can be used instead of homemade. Use about ½ to ⅔ cup of pesto.
- To toast pine nuts: preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden, watching closely to avoid burning.
- If asparagus spears are thick, consider slicing them lengthwise to ensure even cooking inside the chicken.
- Use toothpicks to secure stuffed chicken breasts to prevent filling from spilling during cooking.
- For a low-fat option, substitute mozzarella with part-skim or reduce quantity.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and paprika, depending on preference.
