Week 2: Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

goat cheese & herb stuffed chicken roulades  |  oven roasted ruby red potatoes  |  steamed sweet baby broccoli

What a week?! This was the first full week back at work post holiday season for me & it wore me out! With kids headed back to school for many as well, I wanted to make something that was nutritious, tastes delicious and comes together quickly. So I headed over to CookingLight’s “Dinner Tonight” page for some inspiration. I love this page because it includes healthy menu ideas that can be prepared in less than 45 minutes. The recipes are categorized by Chicken & Turkey, Beef & Lamb, Pork, Vegetarian, Pasta, Soups & Stews. Hubby picked the herb & goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts. Well, I’ve made stuffed chicken breasts before. They always end with one dry end, stuffing missing from some bites, and a bulky and sometimes awkward looking piece of meat on your plate. But hubby wanted stuffed chicken! Solution: chicken roulades! Basically, meat that has been flattened, stuffed, rolled, seared (& sometimes braised). Could I still cook this in under 45 minutes? Read on (or just scroll to the bottom) to find out.

Alright, so we are cooking with goat cheese y’all! Before I got started, I may or may not have pulled up this treasure. That's a lie. I totally did. 

Spoiler: We aren’t cooking any goats, nor did I personally harm any goats in the making of that classic compilation. Now back to the food. Here’s my take on the recipe:

4 oz goat cheese

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons mint

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 chicken breasts, cut in half & pounded to 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon Grapeseed oil (olive oil may be substituted)

3/4 cup chicken stock

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix together goat cheese, chopped herbs, panko & dash of salt & pepper, and set aside. 

Split 3 chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Pound out each half of chicken breast until 1/4 inch thick. Evenly spread goat cheese mixture onto chicken breasts. Roll up the chicken breasts (smallest end first) & secure with twine or toothpicks. 

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium-hot skillet. Sear chicken, rotating every 2 minutes until all sides are evenly browned. Remove chicken from the pan. Deglaze the pan using 3/4 cup of chicken stock juice from a lemon. Season with salt & pepper.  

Place chicken back into the pan & bake in a 425 degree oven until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (or the juices run clear). To serve, slice and top with lemon sauce from pan. 

I served this with steamed sweet baby broccoli & oven roasted fingerling ruby potatoes. I kept the potatoes pretty simple: tossed with olive oil, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper, then roasted in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

And the verdict is...

It was juicy, tender & flavorful, but just not knock-your-socks-off tasty. However, the entire meal came in at well under 500 calories, so it’s definitely one to keep in the books. It took about an hour to bring the entire meal together, which is longer than I am willing to devote on a weeknight. I think next go round, I’d try to shave off some time by using the tubes of pre-chopped herbs & purchasing chicken breasts that are already thinly-sliced by the butcher. After the dishes were washed, hubby gave this a half thumbs up (as did I). Alas, I guess that’s the beauty (and the beast) of sharing with you Meals I’ve Never Made! Dish up!