feta and herb stuffed chicken.

I’m pretty certain I couldn’t live without cheese.  There were a few times I tried…but to no avail.  I simply can’t do it, and I figure life’s too short anyway to do crazy things like deprive myself of quality dairy calories.  So I’ve decided to embrace the dairy love and and stick it into dishes wherever I can beginning with, well, poultry.

Why not?

This easy weeknight dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes and it’s one I think everyone will enjoy, unless your kiddos don’t eat anything green and if that’s the case we’ll just have to figure out something different like this chicken or that.

Stick some of the feta/herb/pine nut* mixture in the flattened breasts, then…

Top with sliced tomatoes.  Alternatively you could also wrap in prosciutto as I tried (and loved).

Serve with a side salad or veggies and you’ll be under $2.25 per serving for a nutritious and protein-packed meal!

*a note about pine nuts…they can be upwards of $20 per pound so I like to buy just what I need in the bulk section of the store because…that’s how I roll.

Feta and Herb Stuffed Chicken

(Serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

1/4 cup basil, chopped

1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped

4 ounces crumbled feta (I like the light feta from TJs)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

salt and pepper

4, (4-6 ounce) chicken breasts

2 tomatoes, sliced

olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Place basil, parsley, feta, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Combine with a fork.  Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts nearly in half, leaving about 1/2 inch on one end so that you can open the breast like a book.  Once opened, use a mallet to pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.  Stuff the inside of each breast with 1/4 of the herb/cheese mixture, then fold the chicken back up and top with sliced tomatoes.  Drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

TOTAL: $7.16 or $1.79 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs? Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

386 calories per serving

13 grams of fat

5 carbs

42 grams protein

1 gram fiber

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