These Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts might be just the thing to bring a little sunshine into your life during this cold, cold January. These are like Oh My Gosh Good, with just a little spice to warm things up.
Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts x
You can see how good they are just by the pictures! And in spite of the name, I want to note that no Cajuns were harmed in the making of this dish!
About Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts are stuffed with the classic New Orleans’ Trinity of onion, celery & bell peppers, and of course, there’s cheese in there too, just for fun: your choice of Cheddar, Provolone, or Pepper Jack.
To complement all that goodness, a little Cajun Spice (I gotta put a plug in for my own Cajun Spice Blend) is sprinkled on like magic dust, but my version of Emeril’s Essence is good, too. Use a little or a lot according to your heat tolerance.
I like that they’re just “fancy” enough for company or a celebration dinner, but they’re made from everyday, ordinary (read “not expensive”) ingredients. You might even have everything you need on hand.
Making Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
There is a bit of prep, so maybe they’re not the best recipe for a busy weeknight, but they can be made ahead a day or two, refrigerated, and then cooked. Just bring them out 45 minutes ahead.
The best way to flatten out the breasts for rolling is to cut horizontally from the thick side, then make a few slices from the inside, vertically, not all the way through. A few pounds should even things out. Save the trimmings and add to them for another dish.
Variations:
These are classic N’awlins flavors, but it would be so easy to change up with minor variations in the recipe, you get the idea:
- Italian: Use Mozzarella and Italian herbs.
- Greek: Feta and Greek Seasoning.
Try frying up some bacon for the stuffing. Or make a simple pan sauce:
When the chicken is resting, saute the other half of the onion, minced, until softened. Add garlic. Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine. When almost gone, add 1/2 cup chicken stock, and simmer until slightly reduced.
Serve With:
I served with brown rice, but a rice pilaf would be great. A simple side (let the chicken be the star) of pan-roasted tomatoes was fresh, but glazed carrots or broccoli would be great, and a simple salad would never be wrong.
Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts x
Leftover Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. When reheating, add just a sprinkle of water over the breasts and cover so they lightly steam.
Other Stuffed Chicken Recipes:
Taking a budget item like boneless chicken breast and refashioning it into something marvelous is a money-saving flex on its own!
- Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast – this recipe folds over the chicken and has a fun tying method.
- Feta and Herb Stuffed Chicken Breasts – a labor of love, but fabulous and has roasted grapes.
- Chicken Cordon Bleu – what can I say? It’s a classic.
Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or Thighs:
There are options when it comes to purchasing boneless, skinless chicken breasts (and thighs, too). Generally, buying in larger amounts means you’ll pay less per pound.
- Chicken drops to a low once a quarter. Know the pricing in your area, what’s a good deal, and a great one, and never pay full price. Stock the freezer at rock bottom. Divide family packs into amounts for meals.
- Take it one step further and reduce today’s huge breasts into actual serving sizes. Large ones can be cut in half, and smaller ones trimmed to size. Package trimmings for stir-fries, casseroles, chicken strips, and so on.
- Compare sale pricing at all the available stores, and fresh to frozen. Frozen is often priced in ounces; learn how to compare to fresh, priced by the pound. Unless it’s a great sale, frozen is often more per pound than fresh on sale.
Grocery Cheese:
- Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock bottom and keep on hand. The best pricing is a discount store’s sales, but if not an option, know the lows at your grocery. Compare pricing by pound or ounce.
- In many grocery stores, sliced cheese is pricier than block cheese; at Lidl, it’s typically the same, and at Aldi, it’s less.
- Brand-name American cheese is typically more expensive than other basic cheese slices, and store brands are often noted for not melting as well.
- Cheese keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and cooking.
Basic Veggies:
- Basic vegetables like onions, celery, and carrots are among the most affordable. For best pricing, try the discount stores.
- Store onions in a dark place, away from potatoes. No need to wrap celery in foil (that adds up), just slip it in the produce bag and put another over the top. Make sure carrots have ventilation – poke a few extra holes in the bag, place them at right angles to any grooves in the produce drawer. Turn them now and then.
Bell Peppers:
- Buy on sale or take advantage of discount store pricing. Compare the pricing of two or three packs to singles. Green peppers are the bargain; cheaper than other colors.
- Store for one to two weeks in a perforated bag (or the bag they come in; staple or tape it shut after removing one).
- If a save is needed, roast, peel, and freeze the colored ones; Green can be diced and frozen raw for recipes.
Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish Chicken
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1/2 small onion, diced finely
- 1 smallish stock celery, diced finely, abt 1/4 cup
- 1 bell pepper, diced finely
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, try cheddar, provolone or pepper jack
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, store-bought or home-made
- 1 green onion for garnish, thinly sliced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the four chicken breasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, celery & bell pepper for several minutes, until just starting to soften and the onion is translucent. Remove from vegetables from skillet and set aside.
While the vegetables are cooking, slice chicken breasts horizontally, from the thick side towards the edge, making sure to keep them intact. Open like a book: to make them lay flat, make a few shallow slices, being careful not to slice through, in the thickest part of the breast. Using a meat pounder, gently pound out to about 3/8ths inch thick.
Divide the cheese among the four breasts, leaving 1/2 inch border around the outside edges. Divide vegetable mixture in the same way on top of the cheese. Roll up and secure with toothpicks, weaving them through the long way. Season generously with Cajun seasoning and rub in.
Heat the remaining olive oil and add the chicken breasts, seam side up, partially turning so nicely browned across the tops and sides. Turn over and place in oven for about 20 minutes until a thermometer registers 165 degrees.
Rest for a few minutes and slice into medallions if desired or serve whole. Sprinkle with green onion if desired.
Note: If you’d like this cheesier, mix grated cheese with about 2 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, then spread the mixture on the breasts.
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I’ll be posting Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breasts at Fiesta Friday #206, co-hosted this week by Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.
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