Stuffed Cranberry Chicken Food

SUNNY'S EASY CHEESE AND CRANBERRY STUFFED CHICKEN WITH CRANBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Make and freeze the stuffing: Mash together the goat cheese, shredded cheese, cranberries, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl with a fork. (You can use your hands to mix it really well.) Taste a 'lil bit and add a pinch of salt if needed. Divide the cheese mixture into four sections and shape into torpedo-like logs a bit shorter than the length of the chicken breasts. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Prepare the chicken: Use a paring knife to cut a pocket into the short, fat end of a chicken breast, that will run through much of the length of the breast, without cutting all the way through. It may take a few strokes with the knife. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Remove the stuffing from the freezer and insert one log in each pocket. If necessary, trim the logs to fit into the pockets. Secure the openings with toothpicks.
• Season and grill the chicken: Preheat the grill for direct and indirect grilling at 350 degrees F and oil the grates.
• Brush olive oil on the chicken and sprinkle on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken over the direct heat of the grill and cook until a peek beneath reveals grill marks, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and place over the indirect heat of the grill to finish. Remove when a check with a thermometer shows the chicken to be at around 155 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with aluminum foil for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature of the chicken should increase to 165 degrees F.
• Make the glaze: Combine the chicken stock, cranberries, honey, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, transfer to plates, and serve each with a spoon of glaze over the top.

APPLE, CRANBERRY, AND FETA STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Heat 1 teaspoon water in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the diced apple until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix the cooked apple, cranberries, shallots, feta and a splash of the chicken stock and set aside.
• Cut a deep horizontal pocket in the side of each chicken breast. Make the pocket as large as you can without piercing the top or bottom of the breast. Place 1/4 of the apple mixture in the pocket of each chicken breast. Secure the pocket with toothpicks threading along the side to close.
• Heat the remaing 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet until it begins to smoke. Cook each side of the chicken until golden brown.
• Add the vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer the chicken for 2 or 3 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm. Continue to cook the sauce until it is reduced to a thick syrup.
• Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over each chicken breast to serve.

CRANBERRY AND CORNBREAD STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put water and cranberry sauce in saucepan. Melt over medium/low heat. Whisk if needed to blend.
• Melt butter in sauté pan over medium/low heat. Once melted, add cranberries and cook until popping.
• Add garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and cornbread to sauté pan. Mix together.
• Cover a pan with aluminum foil. Place chicken breasts flat. Place a scoop of stuffing mixture in the middle of each breast. Wrap chicken and hold closed with toothpicks.
• Pour 1/2 melted cranberry sauce over chicken.
• Cook in oven for approximately 30 minutes.
• When finished, take out toothpicks. It's easier to pull them out if they are twisted first.
• If desired, pour rest of cranberry sauce over cooked chicken and return to oven until sauce is heated.

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CRANBERRIES AND PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Toast pecans and set aside.
• Reserve 2 teaspoons each of cranberries and pecans for the sauce.
• For the stuffing, combine remaining cranberries, pecans and shredded cheese in a small bowl and mix well.
• Carefully make a slit lengthwise down the side of each chicken breast to butterfly, careful not to cup all the way through. Open chicken up and lay fat.
• Divide filling among the chicken breasts and spread over each one, then fold the top of the chicken over the filling and secure with a toothpick.
• Spread flour onto a plate.
• Lightly dredge chicken with flour.
• Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place oil and butter in the skillet and heat over medium to medium high.
• Add chicken breasts to skillet and allow to brown on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove chicken from skillet and place in a baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through.
• While chicken is baking, use the same skillet and add remaining cranberries and pine nuts.
• Add broth and bring to a light boil.
• Reduce heat and allow sauce to slightly thicken and cranberries to soften.
• Remove chicken from the oven and slice.
• Serve on a plate with sauce over top.

CRANBERRY, FONTINA AND WALNUT STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Chicken -- now I like to take advantage of the frozen chicken breasts for this. They tender to be a bit smaller and once thawed are are bit easier to flatten out. I found some of the fresh boneless skinless breasts are so big they are actually too big for me, but use what ever you have. I just flatten mine with my mallet in between saran wrap, but you can use what method you like best.
• Filling -- In a medium sauce pan (use a oven proof pan) add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt on medium heat. Add the celery, onion and garlic and just sweat on medium until they get nice and soft. Cook 4 minutes, then add in the cranberries and cook another 2 minutes and then the walnuts. Mix all until everything is soft and well combined. Remove and let cool slightly.
• Stuffing the chicken -- Just lay out your chicken breasts flat, salt and pepper and then add a little of the cranberry and vegetable stuffing. Top it with some fresh grated cheese. As I said, I love fontina, but you can use a gruyere or even swiss if you want. Then roll up the chicken. Just roll up and try to tuck in the sides as you go. I like to use a couple of tooth picks to secure it at the end.
• Dredging the Cooking -- Add flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to a small bowl and the egg to a second bowl, now dredge each chicken in the egg and then the flour/breadcrumb mixture to coat well. Now, in the same pan you cooked the vegetables in add the remainder of the butter and olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Cook each chicken breast on all sides just a couple minute until lightly brown.
• Glaze -- Keep the chicken in that pan, it is going in the oven. But first, mix the apple jelly and sage and heat in the microwave in a measuring cup just 20 seconds to thin out. Then brush on the chicken on all sides. Transfer the pan to oven and cook on 375 for about 10-15 minutes, turn the chicken over half way through and brush on more glaze. until golden brown.
• Remove the chicken cover and let set a few minutes until the juices re distribute. Then slice into pretty slices and serve with my apple and onion wild rice. A nice farmers market green beans or roasted beets make this perfect.