My sweet baby is 2 today (technically at 5:55 pm). He came into the world at almost 10 ½ pounds, and has been my gentle giant ever since. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast. Ron and I love him more and more each day, and so enjoy growing with him. He is smart, funny and adorable. Kellen has a strong personality and has a kind heart. He loves animals, dinosaurs (he knows many of the names), Elmo, trains, Packers, reading, being outside and playing with his friends. I am so excited for what his future brings, but am relishing in the present while he is my baby. Tonight, we are celebrating with dinner at Noodles & Co. and ice cream with his friends. On Saturday, we are celebrating his birthday (we are going with a farm theme!) with family and more friends.
I decided to share this recipe for Kellen's birthday because it has a few foods that he really enjoys. Chicken, olives, tomatoes and cheese. Also, antipasto was one of my favorite things to enjoy when I was in Italy a few years ago. The original recipe is from Cooking Canuck, but I made a few modifications to the recipe to match our tastes. I kept the filling recipe the same, but bulked it up a bit. I also wrapped the chicken in prosciutto, and baked it over pan frying. The result was absolutely fantastic. The prosciutto was crisp, chicken juicy and filling was cheesy and briney. I served this meal with roasted garlic risotto (recipe to come tomorrow), and it was so delicious. The chicken is beautiful and certain to impress, but quick enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
1 Tbl minced Italian parsley
¼ cup finely diced fresh tomatoes
One clove garlic, minced
¼ cup kalmata olives, minced
Four slices provolone cheese (4 oz), cut into small pieces
Two small canned artichoke hearts, finely chopped
4 chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper
8 slices prosciutto
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, gently mix parsley, tomatoes, olives, garlic, artichokes and cheese together. Place the chicken breast on your work surface and insert your knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast and cut a pocket 3 to 4 inches long. Season chicken with salt and pepper (go easy because of the olives and prosciutto). Stuff the chicken breast with ¼ of the stuffing. Next, gently wrap the chicken with 2 slices of prosciutto making sure to cover the filling pocket. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts and place filling side up in the baking dish.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until juices run clear and prosciutto is crisp. I like to serve this is risotto and fresh green salad.
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