Oh sweet goodness, this is amazing. The stuffing adds texture and flavour that can’t be beat. I served the stuffed chicken breasts with some roasted broccoli that is similarly out of this world. I am going to throw some words out there to describe this dish: succulent, tender, scrumptious, flarghingyum. That’s right, I lost my ability to articulate at the end. The chicken breasts I had were really large, so you can easily stuff three or four regular-sized breasts and have a little less in each. OR double the stuffing and don’t fool around.

Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 cup of dry curd cottage cheese (or use regular cottage cheese and omit the crème fraîche)
• 1 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 1/2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, crumbled (heat oven to 350°F, lay walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, 5-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes)
• 1/4 cup of yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes (optional, we like spice)

• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl cream together the crème fraîche and cream cheese.
2. Mix in the dry curds, walnuts, onion, and spices.
3. Slice the chicken breasts length-wise through the centre, from the side. You are looking to create a pouch of sorts that is the length of the breast.
4. Stuff the breasts with as much stuffing as you can manage. Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika. Mine stayed together without assistance, but feel free to secure with a toothpick.
5. Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Place the breasts in the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
6. Serve with roasted broccoli.

Chicken breasts are stuffed and ready for the pan.

Nestled in, browning nicely.