Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Every once in a while, life is hectic and you just seriously don’t have the time to make an elaborate dinner. You want something easy, that can be tossed in the oven or made in one pot, something that can quickly feed your hungry family! These Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts were juicy, cheesy, garlicky, and packed with tender broccoli – with just the perfect amount of bite left to it! The crisp on the breasts, and that incredible garlic Dijon sauce spooned over the top?! It was just ridiculous. And so easy!
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When did people start stuffing chicken breasts anyway?
The idea of stuffing chicken is actually quite old! This idea dates all the way back to ancient Rome, where a dish that was called “pullum frontonianum” featured chicken breasts that were stuffed with chopped meat, spices, and herbs! By the Middle Ages though, people seemed to favor stuffing whole birds, and the stuffed chicken breast idea from ancient Rome seemed to fall to the wayside. It was hard to get boneless chicken breasts at this time, and much easier to obtain a whole chicken!
By the 1950’s, boneless skinless chicken breasts were widely available, and home cooks started stuffing these things with all sorts of stuff! Europeans and Americans embraced the “easy cooking” culture and appreciated how easy it was to stuff some chicken breast and build major flavor! Dishes like “chicken cordon bleu” became extremely popular, and shortly after that, stuffed chicken breast became a mainstream favorite!
Did you know?
The broccoli cheddar combo is actually built on science! The fat in cheddar helps to mask the bitterness of broccoli! And while this duo is widely recognized and loved, it actually came about as a marketing technique! In the 1960’s, food companies promoted broccoli served with cheese sauce to get Americans to eat more vegetables! It was actually Campbell’s Soup Company and Birds Eye who really helped to cement this flavor combo into society, especially after they released broccoli cheddar condensed soups and frozen broccoli cheddar veggie packs!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the filling:
Broccoli
Garlic
Cream Cheese
Sharp Cheddar
Onion Powder
Chili Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
For the chicken:
Chicken Breasts
Salt
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
For pan frying:
Flour
Olive Oil
Butter
For the garlic Dijon sauce:
Garlic
Chicken Broth
Dijon Mustard
Butter
Half and Half
Black Pepper
For serving:
Parsley
What equipment do I need?
- Large Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Cheese Grater
- Whisk
- Meat Thermometer
- Tongs
- Spatula
How do I make it?
To prep the ingredients:
To get started on this recipe, first we’ll need to prep all of our ingredients! Wash the broccoli and chop it up into tiny pieces. Mince the garlic and parsley, then shred the sharp cheddar.
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge, so it can soften at room temperature. While our cream cheese is softening, let’s work on prepping the breasts.
To prep the chicken:
Get out your chicken breasts, trim the fat off of them, and using a sharp chef knife, very carefully slice deep pockets into the sides of them. Make sure not to go all the way, or it won’t hold the filling!
Pat the breasts very dry on both sides. Next, in a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the chicken besides the breasts and whisk to combine.
Season the chicken on both sides, and in the pockets, using your hands to massage the spices in. Set aside until ready to use, now let’s get the filling made!
To make the broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breasts:
Add all ingredients for the filling to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture into the breast pockets, using your hands to shove the filling all the way back, stuffing the breasts until filled, but not overfilled. Seal the pockets closed by pinching the seams shut.
To pan fry:
In a large skillet, heat oil and butter for pan frying on medium heat. Get out the flour, and sprinkle the stuffed chicken breasts on both sides, using your hands to rub it in, smearing flour along the seams too, then allowing the excess to fall off.
Sear the chicken for a few minutes per side, until golden in color. Then, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook several minutes more, until they’ve reached 165 F.
Move to a plate and loosely tent with foil. Now, let’s make the garlic Dijon sauce.
To make the garlic Dijon sauce:
In the same pan, melt butter on medium heat. Then, add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Next, add the broth and scrape those browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the half and half and Dijon, then simmer for a few minutes, until slightly thickened.
Stir in the salt and pepper, then remove from heat.
Add the broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breasts back into the pan and spoon the garlic Dijon sauce over the top!
To serve:
Sprinkle freshly minced parsley over the breasts and make sure to wait a few minutes before slicing into them to allow that filling to set in there.
Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, rice, whatever you want! Enjoy!
Tips:
- These stuffed chicken breasts will keep for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These are also freezer friendly; they can be frozen for up to 3 months!
- It’s really important to shred your own cheese for this recipe! That way you don’t get any potential grittiness! Plus…that cheese pull! Pre-shredded cheeses don’t always melt that great!
- If you don’t have a ton of time, you can soften the cream cheese in the microwave! Just simply remove from the foil, zap it for 10-15 seconds, or until a slight poke gives on the cream cheese block.
Looking for some more hassle-free chicken recipes? Check these out!
Need some more easy one pot recipes for busy weekdays?
Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 ½ cups Broccoli chopped into tiny pieces
- 2 Garlic Cloves grated
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- ¾ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese freshly shredded
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For the chicken breasts:
- 4 Large Chicken Breasts
- 1 tsp Paprika
- ¾ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For pan frying:
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
For the garlic Dijon sauce:
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Half and Half
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For serving:
- 1 tbsp Parsley minced
Instructions
To prep the chicken:
- Get out your chicken breasts, trim the fat off of them, and using a sharp chef knife, very carefully slice deep pockets into the sides of them. Make sure not to go all the way, or it won't hold the filling!
- Pat the breasts very dry on both sides.
- Next, in a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the chicken besides the breasts and whisk to combine.
- Season the chicken on both sides, and in the pockets, using your hands to massage the spices in.
- Set aside until ready to use, now let's get the filling made!
To make the broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breasts:
- Add all ingredients for the filling to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into the breast pockets, using your hands to shove the filling all the way back, stuffing the breasts until filled, but not overfilled.
- Seal the pockets closed by pinching the seams shut.
To pan fry:
- In a large skillet, heat oil and butter for pan frying on medium heat.
- Get out the flour, and sprinkle the stuffed chicken breasts on both sides, using your hands to rub it in, smearing flour along the seams too, then allowing the excess to fall off.
- Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden in color.
- Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook 5-7 minutes more, until they've reached 165℉.
- Move to a plate and loosely tent with foil. Now, let's make the garlic Dijon sauce.
To make the garlic Dijon sauce:
- In the same pan, melt butter on medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute.
- Next, add the broth and scrape those browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk in the Dijon and the half and half, then simmer for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the salt and pepper, then remove from heat.
- Add the broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breasts back into the pan and spoon the garlic Dijon sauce over the top!
To serve:
- Sprinkle freshly minced parsley over the breasts and make sure to wait a few minutes before slicing into them to allow that filling to set.
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, rice, whatever you want! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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