Hasselback Chicken Cajun With Pepper Jack Spinach Food

HASSELBACK CAJUN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Make 5 crosswise slits in the top of each chicken breast with a paring knife, cutting about three-quarters of the way through. Rub the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, then rub with the Cajun seasoning, making sure to season inside the slits; season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
• Toss the sausage, bell pepper and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Stuff the mixture into the slits on each chicken breast. Roast the chicken until it is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Top with parsley.

HASSELBACK CHICKEN -- CAJUN WITH PEPPER JACK & SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, make slits in the chicken breasts that are about 3/4 inches wide, making sure not to cut all the way down through the bottom of the chicken breast. You will have about 7 or 8 slits per chicken breast, depending on how large your chicken breasts are. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Place the spinach evenly in the slits of the chicken.
• Combine the breadcrumb and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken. Place the pepper jack slices in the slits of the chicken.
• Place each chicken on its own lightly greased sheet of tin foil and make a "bowl", surrounding each chicken breast. This keeps the juices contained.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove each chicken breast from its tin foil "bowl" and place on a serving dish.
• Enjoy!

CAJUN CHICKEN STUFFED WITH PEPPER JACK CHEESE & SPINACH RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper. Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks. This part requires a tiny bit of skill and I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out. Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used! Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Make sure you get underneath, too. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional). Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the toothpicks before serving. Count to make sure you have removed every last toothpick. Serve whole or slice into medallions. *If you have little ones eating this or your spice tolerance is fairly low, halve the Cajun seasoning and double the breadcrumbs. Also, try substituting some of your favorite vegetables in place of the spinach. Some of my favorites include broccoli (parboiled before stuffing in the chicken) and crunchy chopped celery.