Beginners Stuffed Chicken Breasts Food

SIMPLE/EASY STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAVY (FOR BEGINNERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Empty contents of stuffing box, both the bread crumb and seasoning envelopes, into a medium bowl.
• Add hot water and butter; stir to mix.
• Add chopped water chestnuts, onion and poultry seasoning, mix thoroughly and set aside.
• Check inside the chicken for giblets, remove and set aside.
• Rinse chicken inside and out with cold running water.
• Dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towel.
• Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper inside the cavity and all over the outside.
• Place chicken in a roaster.
• Loosely pack the stuffing mix into the main cavity and any left into the neck cavity folding the skin over it.
• If necessary secure the neck skin with a pick.
• Take a length of kitchen string and tie the ends of the legs as close together as possible.
• Rub the butter all over the outside of the chicken making sure to cover the whole outside surface.
• Take two lengths of aluminum foil, place one piece over the chicken lengthwise, take the other piece and place it sideways over the first piece.
• Tuck the foil tightly to the chicken so it is touching the bottom of the roaster but not under the bird.
• If the bird is not completely covered (except for the underside) Use a third piece to finish covering.
• Place the roaster on the middle rack of the oven and roast at 400f degrees for 15 minutes.
• Reduce the heat after 15 minutes to 350f degrees and roast for approximately 2 hours.
• At about 2 hours, carefully lift the aluminum foil and poke the chicken with a fork, if the juice runs clear, remove the foil and roast a further 30 minutes to brown the skin to golden.
• If the juice is not yet clear, roast a little longer and check again.
• Once the chicken is well browned, remove to platter, cover with foil and let rest.
• In the meantime, if you wish to make giblet gravy, take the giblets (and neck if it's there), place in a saucepan, cover with water, add salt and pepper and a little poultry seasoning if you wish, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.
• Remove to strainer, reserving liquid.
• Chop the giblets and pick any meat off neck bones, add to a blender and add the liquid.
• Blend to liquefy level, add 3 or 4 tablespoons flour or corn starch and blend to mix well.
• Pour off as much fat as possible from the roaster, take a whisk and move up any bits and pieces of stuffing/chicken stuck to the bottom, remove any large pieces of skin, add the giblet mix from the blender, whisk around; place in 450°F to 500°F degree oven until bubbly, about 10 minutes; add a small amount of hot water if necessary if it is too thick until it is the consistancy you want, cook another 5 minutes.
• (We like ours very thick) Whisk and pour into gravy boat and serve hot with the roast chicken.
• Gravy can also be made without the giblets, just whisk up the brown bits in the roaster and add 1 cup of hot water and make a slurry of cold water and either flour or corn starch, add the slurry and whisk, cook the same as above adding a little more water if necessary.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• With a slender knife cut a 3-inch pocket along length of thickest side of chicken (or have a butcher do this for you). In a mixing bowl combine the cheese with chopped herbs of your choice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff a quarter of this mixture into each pocket and secure pocket with toothpicks.
• Season the outside with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and saute the chicken, skin side down for 5 to 6 minutes over moderate heat. Turn over and cook for 5 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve over the salad.
• Variation: instead of the cheese and herbs, stuff each chicken breast with about 2 to 4 tablespoons of another mixture which might include one or several ingredients such as slivered roasted peppers, pitted good black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, anchovies, hot chilis, or other cheeses such as Mozzarella or Fontina.

BEGINNERS STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Empty the stuffing mix into a bowl; Add the HOT water, unsalted butter and chopped onion.
• Stir until well-combined then set aside for the water to finish being absorbed.
• While you're waiting, grab those chicken breasts and with the smooth side of your meat mallet pound them out a little flatter but be careful not to be too zealous or you'll 'shred' them.
• TIP: when you pound them out, place them between two pieces of plastic wrap or you'll have chicken 'juice' everywhere, LOL.
• By now your stuffing should have absorbed all the water; Give it a couple more good stirs and it's ready.
• Place some of the stuffing in the middle of each chicken breast and roll them up; I dunno how much, enough to stuff, but not enough to fall out when you roll them up.
• Place them seam side down in a 12 x 8 or 13 x 9 non-stick baking pan or casserole dish.
• There may be leftover stuffing -- you can either do more breasts or save it for another meal/recipe tomorrow night.
• Combine the soup, garlic, lime juice and milk until everything is well incorporated and the mixture looks thick.
• Spoon over the chicken, completely moistening all the breasts.; Cover tighly with foil, place in preheated 350° oven and bake 30-45 minute.
• Place the chicken breasts on a serving platter; serve the extra sauce in the pan in a gravy boat on the side.