Chicken Stuffed with Artichoke Hearts and Olives

As much as I want to cook new and different items ALL the time, sometimes, I have to make things more than once.  We do have our favorites we like to eat as well as being adventurous.  We can’t always eat something new.  You have seen many variations of my stuffed chicken.  It is definitely one of those favorites that I make quite often, plus it is a good way to use up some leftovers too.  This time I used the rest of my artichoke and olive tapenade for my filling.  Filet Mignon with a Lemony Artichoke and Olive Tapenade

I served my chicken with a roasted pepper coulis, wild rice (also leftover) and asparagus topped with mushrooms, and a light, fruity white blend to balance out and complete the meal.  I also finished up the last of my olive bread.  A Batch of Tuscan Olive Bread

Since I have made this many times, I am not really going to give you a recipe.  I will just walk you through the process instead.  There really isn’t a specific recipe anyway.  As you know, I try to reuse and recreate my leftovers as often as I can.  It has become a fun game for me.

Start by wrapping the chicken in plastic and using a meat tenderizer to flatten it out.

Once the chicken has been flattened to a thickness you can roll and work with, dip it in an egg wash and a breadcrumb coating, then add your filling.  This time, I used mozzarella cheese and my artichoke and olive tapenade.  Then roll the chicken together and secure with either toothpicks or string.

Carefully place the rolled chicken into a hot skillet with either olive oil, butter, or a combination of both and brown it on both sides.

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Carefully place the rolled chicken pieces in the baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked and the juices come out clear.

While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce, if using one.  One of my favorite, easy-peasy go-to sauces is a roasted pepper coulis.  You can use any color peppers you like, but I prefer the red, orange and/or yellows.  Roast them until they are completely charred, then place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for about 30 minutes.  Carefully rub off the charred skin, rinse and remove the seeds.

Place the roasted peppers in a food processor along with some garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper and process until everything is pureed and you have a sauce.  I used 2 peppers, and added 1 TBSP garlic, about 1 tsp each of both salt & pepper and about 3-4 TBSP of olive oil.

When everything is ready, plate it up and enjoy with a glass or two of your favorite wine or other beverage of choice.  This is just good old fashioned, delicious comfort food.  Enjoy!