This recipe is often found under many different names but is simple to prepare, delicious, and almost impossible to mess up. You can vary the recipe by changing the type of meat or cheese used in the stuffing, or by simply adding a drizzle of your favorite sauce to the finished dish. By stuffing the chicken breast in this manner, the chicken will remain moist every time.
I strongly believe that homemade fresh breadcrumbs are very important to a simple dish like this and I kept my breadcrumbs a little on the coarse side for the breading creating and really nice crunchy exterior. I also find, that if you wrap the ham around the cheese before placing it in the chicken it helps to keep the cheese from oozing out when it melts.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Stuffing chicken breasts with ham and cheese in this manner keeps them moist and tender.
Ingredients
- 4 (About 6 oz) Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 4 Slices Prosciutto Cotto (Cooked Ham)
- 4 Thin Slices Fontina Cheese
- 1/3 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
- 1 1/2 Cups Seasoned Fresh Breadcrumbs
- 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- To stuff the chicken breasts, working with one at a time, butterfly breast halves.
- Lay each breast half, skinned side up, lengthwise on a cutting board, holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning on a long side, cut breast almost in half horizontally (not all the way through), then open it like a book.
- Cover opened breast halves with a piece of plastic wrap and gently pound each to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a meat pounder or rolling pin.
- Remove plastic wrap and cover each opened breast half with 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese, tucking in any protruding ends.
- Fold each breast in half to enclose ham and cheese.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour and then in the beaten egg.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
- Press breadcrumbs to lightly cover both sides of each chicken breast and refrigerate for an hour to help the crumbs better adhere to the chicken.
- Heat the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides.
- Saute chicken, turning over once, until golden and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes total time.
- Serve hot.