It's been a while since I stuffed a chicken breast, so I figured I might as well have at it. It's fall here in New England and that means mushrooms! Fall doesn't really mean mushrooms, but I do think of mushrooms as cold weather food, not warm. So let's make this awesome dinner for two: stuffed chicken with mushrooms and Gouda.
Different Methods of Stuffing Chicken
When stuffing boneless breast of chicken, there are a lot of methods to choose from. These are three that I frequently use.
- The first is butterfly, stuff & fold, like we're doing with this recipe and my mom's chicken cordon bleu.
- Next option, slice down the top of breast to make a pocket, stuff crumpled tin foil into the pocket, sear it, then add the filling into the pocket. This seems like it will work if you have a creamier filling like with my broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken.
- Lastly, there is the rolling method: butterfly the breast, pound it thin, lay out/spread your filling onto the chicken, then roll the breast. For this type of technique your filling should lay flat and not be bulky like my stove top stuffing chicken rolls.
As with all methods, toothpicks can sometimes be used to hold it all together. There are so many exciting combinations and methods to try! Also, yes, there are many more variations on how best to stuff your boneless chicken breast. These are simply a jumping off point.
Easy Steps to Making This Dinner for Two: Stuffed Chicken with Mushrooms and Gouda:
Dinner for Two: Stuffed Chicken for Mushroom and Gouda Lovers
I know there are a lot of mushroom lovers out there and I am here to say: this one's for you! First off, the combination of mushrooms, butter, garlic and onion is a no-brainer, right? I am crazy about Gouda cheese too. However, you could easily substitute with a mild cheddar too if you prefer. And for a stuffed chicken recipe, I think this is a fairly straightforward process.
- Chop your onions and garlic.
- Cook it with your washed baby bella mushrooms (aka creminis).
- Stuff the chicken with a couple of spinach leaves, sliced gouda and the mushroom mix then bake it in a preheated oven!
- Add a little extra cheese to the top at the end if you like.
Making Smaller Meals For Smaller Families
I started making videos of smaller meals recently and I've really been enjoying this. I realize there are a lot of singles and couples out there who just want to make one or two meals. For singles, you can eat the leftover portion for lunch. For couples, you're one and done with this recipe. It's a winner for all!
As someone who frequently cooks with leftovers in mind, scaling down can be a breath of fresh air. As much as I love having leftovers for lunch so I don't have to think about it, I also love having just enough for two portions. You can always make more if you want by using the recipe multiplier to scale it up. You choose.
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Dinner for Two: Stuffed Chicken with Mushrooms and Gouda
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 portions 1x
Description
Are you totally into mushrooms? Then you should definitely make this dinner for two: stuffed chicken with mushrooms and gouda.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
- 8-ounce package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (for the mushrooms)
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper (for the mushrooms)
- 4 large, fresh spinach leaves
- 1 7.6-ounce package of Gouda cheese (see note#1)
For the chicken:
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
NOTE: You will need an oven safe pan for this.
Instructions
- n thickness. Use a kitchen mallet, rolling pin or frying pan to do this.
- Finely dice one small-to-medium clove of garlic.
- Finely dice the onion. (I used more a heaping tablespoon here).
- Wash the sliced mushrooms, then blot with paper towel and rub them gently to dry.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a pan on medium heat in an oven-safe pan. Once heated, add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Then arrange the mushrooms so they are laying (lying??) flat in the pan and not overlapping. Cook for 2-3 minutes without touching them. Let them get golden brown on the bottom.
- Stir the mushrooms then add the garlic and onion to the middle of the pan. Cook them in the center for 20-30 seconds, then mix to combine with the mushrooms. Cook everything another minute or so then turn off the heat. Let the mushrooms cool while you prep the chicken. You don’t need to wash the pan, we’ll use it to cook the chicken in the oven.
- Chicken breasts are pretty lean, but I do like to trim any little bit of fat around the edges. Take a minute to use your kitchen shears and trim the fat.
- You’ll need to butterfly your chicken breasts. Slice the breast in half lengthwise, but don’t cut all the way through. Open the chicken and lay it flat on your cutting board. Do the same with both pieces of chicken. My video shows this well.
- Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound the chicken to ¼” i
- Season the chicken on both sides with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Give a few shakes of dried thyme to each chicken piece on one side only.
- Cut four rectangle-sized slices of Gouda cheese about ¼” in thickness. Could use cheddar instead if that’s what you have on hand.
- Overlap two large fresh spinach leaves for each piece of chicken, (so four spinach leaves total). Taste great without spinach too so you can skip this if not a spinach fan.
- Time to stuff the chicken. Chicken should be dried thyme side down so when you fold it’s on the outside. Place the overlapping spinach leaves on each butterflied piece of chicken.
- Place the cheese slices on top of the spinach. Spoon the mushroom mix on top of the cheese, leaving extra mushrooms to serve on the side. Press the stuffed ingredients gently with one hand, while folding closed with the other hand. (my video shows this well).
- Transfer the stuffed chicken back into the pan you cooked the mushrooms.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- While it’s cooking, optional, but shred a little more cheese and add it to the top at the end of the cooking process. Let it melt in oven for a minute or two.
- For serving, I spooned a little extra mushroom on the top of the chicken and served pan-steamed carrots on the side. You can serve with side-salad, rice or try my sautéed veggie recipe here.
Notes
- You will have extra Gouda cheese. It’s mostly sold in the 7.6-ounces packages. You can use this for many things – omelet, baked potato, sandwiches, etc. Enjoy!
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