Chicken L’amore

Chicken L’amore
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A Little Personal History:

During my freshman year at Vassar, I sat in on many cooking classes at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), the next town over in Hyde Park NY. Till then I was just a “recipe” guy with a great love for cooking.

There was also a girl and a secret crush. I always hoped I’d have a chance to create this dish for her over a romantic dinner, evening and more she’d never forget. Alas, the stars never aligned … yet the dish remains for when they do.

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Inspired and dedicated to all the extraordinary women out there ? ?
Chef Lars
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Rating: 5
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Prep Time 30 minuters
Cook Time 40 minutes
Passive Time 4 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
  • 4 large skinless chicken breast halves pounded flat
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun Blast Seasoning
  • 4 slices thin deli ham or prosciutto
  • 8 slices thin mild cheese (i.e. GruyereProvolone, Swiss, etc.)
  • 1 cup spinach steamed
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Cooking spray Or butter
  • 1 cup Lemon Parsley Dressing Or your favorite light chicken sauce
Prep Time 30 minuters
Cook Time 40 minutes
Passive Time 4 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
  • 4 large skinless chicken breast halves pounded flat
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun Blast Seasoning
  • 4 slices thin deli ham or prosciutto
  • 8 slices thin mild cheese (i.e. GruyereProvolone, Swiss, etc.)
  • 1 cup spinach steamed
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Cooking spray Or butter
  • 1 cup Lemon Parsley Dressing Or your favorite light chicken sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
  1. Marinade chicken breast for 4 hours.
  2. While chicken marinates, prepare lemon parsley sauce per instructions. Set aside.
  3. In large mixing bowl, blend flour and Cajun Blast together and set aside.
  4. On a cutting board, slice ham and cheese very thin. Set aside.
  5. In a vegetable steamer, steam spinach for 5 minutes. Set aside.
  6. After chicken has marinated, on cutting board, use the flat side of a metal meat mallet and pound each breast till about ¼ inch thick evenly throughout the breast. Repeat for remaining breasts. Set aside.
  7. My preferred method is to lay out a strip of wax paper about a foot and a half long and then lay a strip of plastic wrap over that.
  8. Put one chicken breast on top but to one side and fold the wrap and paper over it.
Add filling for each chicken breast:
  1. With breast skinless side down, layer spinach, ham, and cheese slice.
  2. Roll each breast tightly together. Tuck in sides. If necessary, use toothpicks to keep stuffed breasts together.
  3. Pat breasts dry with paper towels. Dredge each stuffed chicken breast in seasoned flour mixture till all sides are covered. Shake off any excess mixture.
Saute Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  1. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but no smoking.
  2. Grease baking dish with oil spray or butter.
  3. Use tongs, place and saute stuffed chicken breast, starting with the seam side first, moving so not to stick to skillet and turning on all sides till lightly browned, but not cooked through. Approximately 2 minutes per side. The intent is to cook just long enough for the mixture to help “hold” breast together while sealing in the juices and flavor during baking.
Baking Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  1. Place each sautéed breast in greased baking dish. Carefully remove toothpicks.
  2. Pre-heat oven to bake at 350°F.
  3. In a pre-heated oven, place baking dish on middle rack, and bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through but not overcooked.
Heat Lemon Parsley Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, reheat lemon parsley sauce over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally.
  2. (Optional) Remove baking dish from oven, and place a cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
  3. Transfer each breast to a serving plate and pour sauce over it. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Advanced Preparation:

  • Marinating chicken can be done in advance and refrigerated or frozen till needed. If frozen, return marinated breasts to room temperature before proceeding.
  • Steps 2 – 5 can be done up to 4 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated till ready to use.
  • Steps 6-13 can be done up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated till ready to bake.
    • I haven’t tested what would happen if you freeze them, then bake when ready. If anyone wants to let me know the results, I’m all ears.

Tips, Notes, and Variations:

  • If your chicken breasts are thick and plump, rather than pounding thin with a mallet, you can filet the breast with a sharp knife. Then butterfly the breast, layer fillings on one half and fold the other half over. The presentation differs as the chicken breast look more like a chicken omelette ?
  • If you’d like to add bread crumbs to the dredging:
    1. In one bowl, add plain or seasoned bread crumbs.
    2. In a second bowl add 2 Eggs and 2 tablespoon water or milk.  Whisk thoroughly.
    3. After Step 9, dredge floured chicken in egg wash and then in bread crumbs. Continue on with Step 10.
  • If you’re throwing a fun dinner party, here’s a great variation to easily serve this dish to tens, even hundreds, of friends, family & guests.
    1. Instead of making individual servings … Pound out or filet a lot of chicken breasts. On a large, lightly seasoned floured cooking sheet; layer them lengthwise. Add filling (Step 7) and roll them into long rolls.
    2. Place cooking sheet(s) in the oven, bake and transfer to chafing dishes, topping with sauce & garnish. As you won’t be searing in a skillet with this method, leave olive oil dipped toothpicks in during baking and carefully remove after.
    3. When ready to serve, slice the stuffed chicken “rolls” into individual serving portions and served buffet style. When done right, it’s a masterful presentation and the talk of the night.