Pancetta and Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken Breast

Name: Pancetta and Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken Breast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Cuisine: Italian Dinners, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 4 slices pancetta; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms; 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided; 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided; 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each); 1/2 cup prepared pesto

I was inspired by a stuffed chicken Marsala dish I had at a restaurant and wanted to come up with my own version using a different flavor profile. —Ashley Laymon, Lititz, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

4 slices pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 cup prepared pesto

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp; drain on paper towels.
In same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot; cook and stir until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; cook until tender, 1-2 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet to 1/4-in. thickness. Spread each with 2 tablespoons pesto; layer with one slice pancetta and a fourth of the mushroom mixture. Fold chicken in half, enclosing filling; secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165°, 30-35 minutes. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Test Kitchen tips

For those who don't like mushrooms, substitute 1 cup baby spinach and saute with shallots.

Serve over pasta tossed with pesto.

Nutrition Facts

1 stuffed chicken breast half: 420 calories, 25g fat (6g saturated fat), 112mg cholesterol, 1013mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 41g protein.

Originally published as Flavor-Packed Stuffed Chicken Breast in Taste of Home Feb/Mar 2018

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Butcher2boy

Jan 5, 2019

My husband made this after he read the recipe. Easy and it's a keeper.
i_like_pie

Nov 20, 2018

We enjoyed the flavor combination. I used Canadian bacon for the pancetta and onion for the shallot.