Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The recipe calls for four chicken breasts; 

I only used two but kept the majority of the other ingredient amounts the same.  

Modifications noted below.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped basil (I used one tablespoon.)

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (I used two tablespoons.)

zest of one lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil (I reduced this to a half tablespoon between two chicken breasts.)

8 prosciutto slices (I used four.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a bowl, mash the ricotta with the Parmesan, herbs, and lemon zest.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Take the chicken breasts and cut a pocket into the thickest side; be sure not to slice completely through.  Stuff each one with an equal amount of ricotta mixture, then rub with a small drizzle of olive oil.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  

Lay two prosciutto slices on a flat surface, overlapping slightly.  Place the chicken on top and carefully wrap the prosciutto around the breasts, making sure that it meets at the top.  If needed, use a toothpick to secure in place.

Flip the chicken over and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Cook for 20-25 minutes, dependent on the thickness of your chicken, and until golden brown.  When pressed with a finger, the meat should bounce back.  Remove toothpicks, if used, before serving.

*The Gluten-Free Cookbook

{One Skillet} Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound (heaping 2 cups) sweet potatoes (one large or two small sweet potatoes), diced into 1 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• (I added 1/2 cup diced onion, about half of an onion.)
• 1 cup chopped sweet bell peppers (I used miniature assorted red, yellow, and orange.)
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about one large clove--fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• optional toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado or guacamole

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat two tablespoons olive oil. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and diced onion.  Add a good pinch of salt and pepper the mixture.  If you don't like any amount of crunch to your sweet peppers, add them after the sweet potatoes and onions have been cooking for about 6-8 minutes. If you like a crunch, add them in with step four.
2. Saute the sweet potatoes and onions (and peppers if added) for a total of 8-10 minutes or until pretty tender. Add in remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the rice.
3. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes at medium heat.
4. Add in the undrained diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and vegetable/chicken broth. (Add peppers if you haven't added them yet.)  Give everything a really good stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a little bit above low, but not quite to medium heat.
5. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is drained and the rice is cooked through.
6. Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice (optional). Top with the shredded cheddar cheese and then cover the pot with the skillet for 1-2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
7. Top your burrito bowls with sour cream, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado, or guacamole.  For added protein, pair with you favorite meat.

*Adapted from www.chelseasmessyapron.com

Easy 30-Minute Homemade White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium/1 large onion)
• 1 large jalapeño pepper (about 4 to 5 inches long), diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; include or discard them based on preference) (I used my mini food processor to finely chop half of the onion and the whole jalapeño.  Processing the onion created a wet/liquidy mixture.)
• 7 to 8 ounces canned green chilis, don't drain (I used mild heat.)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
• 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (use one whole store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.) (One whole rotisserie chicken gave me about 2.5 cups chicken.  It was plenty and I liked that my soup had more liquid than the picture shown.)
• 2  15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see step 4 below about blending 1 cup of the beans with a splash of chicken broth or water.) (Do this step before starting to cook the soup.)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced (I only used a few tablespoons, but this ingredient is not optional!  A must!!)
• tortilla strips, chips, crackers, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream; all are optional for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1. To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
2. Add the onion, jalapeno, green chilis, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
4. Add the chicken broth, chicken, and cannellini beans/bean puree.   (Take 1 cup of the beans, add to a food processor or blender, and add a splash of chicken broth or water.  Blend until smooth; mixture should be thick.)  Add lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, {optional} cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 7 to 10 minutes. It's unlikely, but if at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your chili to be thinner, add 1 cup of water or as desired; adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end. For thicker chili, allow mixture to boil longer and reduce until desired thickness is reached.
5. Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
6. Taste chili and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, etc.).
7. Ladle chili into bowls, and optionally garnish with tortilla strips, chips, crackers, avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately. Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

*www.averiecooks.com

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients:

3/4 cup melted butter
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dried, minced onion
24 mini sandwich rolls (Hawaiian)
1 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese (or cheese of choice)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. (I like to use a foil pan for easy clean up.) 

2.  In a small bowl, mix together butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and dried onion. Separate the tops from bottoms of the rolls, and place the bottom pieces into the prepared, greased baking dish. Layer about half the ham onto the rolls. Arrange the Swiss cheese (or cheese of choice) over the ham, and top with remaining ham slices in a layer. Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. Pour the mustard mixture evenly over the rolls.

3.  Cover baking dish with foil and bake until the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until rolls are lightly browned on top.  Slice into individual rolls through the ham and cheese layers to serve.

*www.allrecipes.com

Hassleback Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 medium (6 ounce) sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (garlic flavor recommended!)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chilies)
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Carefully cut each potato into 1/8″ slices, cutting almost to the bottom but not quite through (leave about 1/4  of an inch on the bottom.) Mix the oil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and rub all over the potatoes, getting into the cuts as much as possible.

Place the potatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender inside and crispy on the outside.

While the potatoes are baking, whisk together the Greek yogurt, adobo sauce, lime juice, salt, and pepper. When the potatoes are done, drizzle the sauce evenly over the potatoes and serve immediately. Makes 4 potatoes.

*www.ourbestbites.com