Well hello there. Lover.
Actually, I want to see if you can guess what’s stuffed inside those thar chicken breasts raht up thar.
Cheese, duh.
Spinach, right on.
ARE YOU MOUTHING SAUERKRAUT IN DENIAL? I thought so.
Come here, hold my hand.
This is something my mom used to make when I was growing up, back in the 1930s. (<—just kidding.) The original recipe comes from an oooold restaurant in Little Rock, AR back in the 1920s (<—just kidding). Apparently people would flock to the restaurant to order their signature dish, CAFE CHICKEN, and they’d lose their freaking minds with every bite. Then I think eveeeeentually the restaurant shut down, and someone printed the recipe (or close to it) in the local newspaper in the mid 1980s (<—not kidding this time). Everyone lost their minds again, yadda yadda YADDA. And here we are.
My version. It’s not exactly like the original, but close.
You still with me?
Just slice in half and pound out two chicken breasts. You’ll layer some sauerkraut (don’t even try to hate this. it’s coming for you.), fresh mozzarella, and baby spinach. Simple. You got this.
Then roll up each little chicken canoe, and secure it with toothpicks. Snuggle them in a pan, and brush each roll with melted butter. Sprinkle with a little smoked paprika, and wipe that tear away.
After 30 minutes in the oven, you’ll mix together a wee bit of honey with your favorite bbq sauce. The restaurant used A1 I believe, so if that’s your jam, make your life happy. Pour it on and around the chicken rolls, and bake for a little bit more. That’s it, babe.
Well good grief. ^^^
That cheese. It’s oozing out into the sauce so you better have something, ANYTHING nearby to punch square in the face.
Oh, you want more? I see how it is.
I MEAN.
Okay, the honey + bbq sauce? Insanity.
The mozz + spinach + surprise tang of the sauerkraut? Straight up LIFE MERRIMENT.
I’m telling you, this is something you can’t turn away from. It will hunt you down. It will find you. And it will ki- KISS you. It will kiss you. Swear I was going to say kiss. I was.
This photo is just in case you needed to see the cheese oozage from the other end of the canoe.
You can serve it up anyway you like! Roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli, lots of lemon for MOUTH POW.
You know.
Just surrender.
Winner winner chicken di!- no.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 Tbs. sauerkraut (I used jarred)
- 4 Tbs. fresh mozzarella
- ½ cup baby spinach
- 1 Tbs. melted butter
- sprinkle of smoked paprika
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup fave bbq sauce
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400.
- Slice each chicken breast in half, lengthwise, and pound them out thinly between two sheets of plastic wrap. Toss the wrap, and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place 2 Tbs. each of the sauerkraut and cheese in the center of each chicken breast, followed by a layer of spinach. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan and brush with melted butter, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. If you have regular paprika or even sweet, that’s totally fine. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
- While it’s baking, mix together the honey and bbq sauce in a small bowl.
- Remove the foil after 30 minutes and brush the chicken with the glaze. Bake, uncovered for 10 more minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with any sides you dig!
- Serves 4.
And don’t even try to snub the ‘kraut. It knows you’re there.
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