Fresh vegetables from the garden are great one their own, but when served as a stuffing in boneless chicken breast, the flavor just seems to magnify. This is an easy and quick way to serve a nutritious and versatile meal focusing on chicken. Make the Ranch Dressing ahead of time.
Ingredients for the Stuffed Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup of fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup of red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup of fresh mushrooms
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon of butter
To Make the Chicken
Rinse the chicken and trim off any fat.
Cut each chicken breast into pieces.
Place each piece in a ziplock bag.
Flatten by beating with a heavy pan (a cast iron skillet works well).
Set aside.
To Make the Stuffing
Saute the broccoli, red pepper and mushrooms in a pan on medium-low heat.
To Assemble
Lay the chicken breast flat.
Top one half with the sauteed vegetable mixture.
Fold over the top and secure with toothpicks.
Melt butter in a frying pan.
Roll chicken in Italian bread crumbs.
Brown the chicken on both sides.
Place in a baking dish.
Cook, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.
Ranch Dressing for Pour-Over Sauce
This is an excellent healthy alternative to store-bought bottled dressing. This can be used for topping salads, dipping vegetables or as a sauce for sandwiches as well as using it as the sauce for Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients well and chill in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Warm this sauce in a small saucepan and pour over the stuffed chicken breasts.
Another great idea for this recipe is to serve it with a mushroom sauce instead of ranch dressing.
Mushrooms in Sauce
This is a little of a thicker and heavier sauce.
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 cup of sour cream
- salt and pepper
Melt butter.
Add mushrooms and lemon juice.
Saute until tender.
Stir in sour cream.
Salt and pepper to taste.
This is an excellent start to a great meal. Serving suggestions for this meal include baked or boiled mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, peas or carrots and a slice of cantaloupe or watermelon. The chicken would be equally as good if accompanied with a fresh tossed salad, potato or macaroni salad, baked beans or coleslaw. To add extra carbohydrates, try some freshly baked zucchini or carrot muffins. All straight from the garden! What a great way to celebrate and appreciate the summer harvest.
