Garlic and Herb Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Modified from Southern Living, January, 2006.

This is a very nice recipe. Crunchy outside, great cheese filling inside. And if you use the low-fat version of the cheese, you get away with roughly 400 calories per breast, and something like 12 grams of fat.

My first attempt at this took longer to cook -- 30 to 35 minutes, but the breasts were looking pretty large, and I was folding over the breasts -- my second version took 20 minutes, and was excellent.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8-ounce container light spreadable garlic and herb cheese. Actually, I think 8-oz is too much. I used a 4.4-oz package of Boursin Light for three breasts, and still had some left over. I think one package of Boursin Light would be fine for four breasts.
2 egg whites
1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup crushed wheat crackers (we used low-fat Wheat Thins)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil (or use a spray)

Directions

Put each breast between two sheets of plastic wraps, and pound them thin with a mallet, rolling pin, or (my sister's favorite) a cutting board. Cut each breast in half, and make a cheese sandwich with the breasts as bread. The original recipe called for putting cheese in the middle and folding the entire breast in half, but I think cutting works better. Secure with toothpicks.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, or spray the pan. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, salt and pepper on a plate. Dip each breast in the egg whites/buttermilk, then dredge them in the crumb mixture. Cook the breasts in the skillet for four or five minutes on each side, until their outsides are browned. (We did this in two batches, using the olive oil sprayer before each batch).

Place the breasts on a wire rack on a foil-lined cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer shows 170 degrees.

Jim Plank

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