Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Asparagus and Parmesan Rice Recipe

Asparagus, ham, and cheese are stuffed into chicken breasts and served on top of cheesy tomatoes and rice.

Cook: 40 mins
Total: 1 hr
Prep: 20 mins
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

– 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
– 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
– 1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
– ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
– salt and ground black pepper to taste
– 4 slices of deli ham
– ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
– 2 tablespoons butter, divided
– 2 cups chicken broth
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– 1 cup uncooked white rice
– 1 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes with onion and celery, drained
– ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions / Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

Step 3

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the asparagus, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper just until the asparagus is bright green and beginning to become tender about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Lay each chicken breast out onto a work surface, and place a slice of ham on the flattened breast. Place 1/4 of the asparagus mixture over the ham, and top with 1/4 of the Cheddar cheese. Roll the chicken breast around the filling and secure with toothpicks or tie with cotton kitchen string; place the stuffed breasts into a 9×13-inch baking dish, seam sides down. Top each breast with about 1/2 tablespoon of butter.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear 30 to 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre of a stuffed breast should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Baste the stuffed chicken breasts occasionally with pan juices while baking.

Step 6

While chicken is baking, bring chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of butter to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice and tomatoes, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the rice until tender and the broth has been absorbed about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let rice stand covered for about 5 minutes; stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve stuffed chicken breasts on the cooked rice.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 573 calories; protein 40.7g; carbohydrates 43.8g; fat 24.4g; cholesterol 129.2mg; sodium 1355.7mg

Source – cooking365.co.za