These creamy feta & herb-stuffed chicken breasts were a huge hit with the family, as a matter of fact, the kids woke up the next day asking for leftovers for breakfast. (There are a lot of pictures below.)
Have I told you how much our 11-year-old loves to cook? She's such a great help nowadays! She started on the bread crumbs while I started on the filling…
Creamy Feta & Herb-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breasts this recipe is for 12 breasts — click here if you don't have a good local source for pasture-raised chicken.
- 2 eggs whipped/mixed slightly
- 8 pieces of bread
- Whatever herbs and seasonings you'd like to season your bread crumbs with garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, etc…
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- 8 ounces of feta cheese crumbled (or more depending on your taste)
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or more to your taste
- More fresh or dried herbs such as any listed above. Again the amounts are approximate, just throw in a small handful of fresh or a Tablespoon or so of dried.
- Butter for baking pan/dish — I like this pastured butter
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: I had thin boneless chicken breasts, but if yours are thick you can pound them between parchment or wax paper until they're thin enough to fold them over the filling. Plan on one-two breasts per serving – this recipe is for 12 breasts. Put them into a baggie or bowl with a couple of raw eggs, whipped or stirred up a little.
- Then prepare the seasoned bread crumbs: Using your food processor, blend together the bread slices, seasonings of your choosing and some sea salt and pepper. A reader friend, Kathleen, suggested a gluten-free option: desired herbs plus 1/2 cup coconut flour and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese.
- Now prepare the filling (this made extra, but if you're careful not to get the raw chicken juices into it while you're filling the chicken, it makes a great leftover cracker dip). Mix together with a mixer, or a hand blender, the feta cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder and more fresh or dried herbs. (NOTE: your cream cheese will need to be very soft to use a hand blender, so if you didn't allow enough time for the cream cheese to soften, use your mixer).
- Butter a baking pan well and start assembling: First dip both sides of the egg covered chicken into the bread crumbs and place in the pan. Dollop 2-3 Tablespoons or so (see pictures below) onto one side of the chicken, fold the other side over, and put a toothpick through to hold it together. Sprinkle a few more breadcrumbs on top if you'd like.
- Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes, the bread crumbs should be golden brown. To be sure the chicken is done, cut into a thick part of a middle piece to make sure there's no pink left. Be sure not to let it bake too long or they'll be dry and not as dreamy.
- (This could easily be made ahead! By the way, this is also pretty darn yummy without the breadcrumbs if you're not eating grains. We ran out of breadcrumbs, as you can see in the picture, and they were still delicious.)
Serves 8-12. Pictures are below.
Seasoned bread crumbs:
Feta-herb filling:
Stuffing the chicken:
Use a toothpick to hold it together:
We ran out of bread crumbs and those breasts were still really good:
After coming out of the oven:
Jan says
This looks great…instead of using bread crumbs I will smash up some pork rinds and add the spices to it. (Low carb option)
Oregon Chris says
Hmm that sounds awesome!
Leah G says
MMM! sounds yummy. I do believe I am giving birth to a block of cheese. This pregnancy I’ve eaten SOOO much. Now to get the hubby to kill some chickens.
Susan says
Leah- that’s funny! Reminds me of the episode of I Love Lucy where she tries to bring home some cheese from Europe without paying taxes on it and disguises it as a baby while on her plane ride home!