Pesto Stuffed Chicken is a weeknight winner. Super easy to make, finishes in the oven for some hands-off cooking! Creamy and delicious, everyone will love this!
Prepare a baking sheet - either add foil, or grease well with cooking spray (alternatively you can use a rack)
Filling
Combine cream cheese, pesto and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.
Make a pocket in the chicken: Cut along the thin side, lengthways, without going all the way through.
Add the pesto/cream cheese mixture to each chicken breast. Depending on how crazy you get with the filling, you can press the edges together to seal, or use toothpicks.
Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
Breading
Beat egg with a fork in a bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish.
Dip each chicken breast in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs.
Cooking
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken on both sides, until lightly browned.
Add the chicken to the baking sheet, and bake until the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 165F. About 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Remove from oven, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Devour.
Notes
If you stuff a LOT of filling in, you may need to use toothpicks to hold your chicken together. Just remember to remove them before you eat!Chicken TemperatureChicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F when tested with a digital thermometer in the thickest part.
StorageIf you happen to have leftovers (lucky you!), the store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days. This is not a good recipe to freeze!Additions/Substitutions/SuggestionsPanko breadcrumbs are awesome in this recipe!Add some Italian seasoning or garlic powder when seasoning the chicken, for a kick of extra flavor.Add some parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.Add a little mozzarella cheese to the filling. Ooey. Gooey. Yummy!If you love pesto, add an extra tablespoon of pesto to the filling.