Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast (21 Day Fix Approved)

Before my family started eating clean, I used to buy the frozen "hamster" style chicken breasts stuffed with either ham & cheese or our favorite - broccoli & cheese.

BUT, when we started eating clean, we haven't eaten them in what seems like FOREVER, so when a fellow Beachbody coach posted this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  WE LOVED IT!

I will say I did coat my husband's with bread crumbs, but you can do without the breadcrumbs if you choose as I did for mine.  If you don't coat it in the breadcrumbs this makes a great 21 Day Fix Approved Meal as well!

Hope you enjoy it!

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (a whole chicken breast would count as 2 red containers or half would count as 1 red container)
Chedder Cheese (1 blue container or about 2tbsp.)
Frozen Broccoli, defrosted (1 green container or about 1cp. per chicken breast)
Olive Oil or Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Powder
Paprika
Kitchen Twine

OPTIONAL:
Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs OR Ezekial Bread breacrumbs
Whole Wheat Flour
1 Egg Beaten with a touch of water

Directions:
-  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut at least 3 pieces of kitchen twine per chicken breast.

-  De-frost the frozen broccoli and chop it into tiny little pieces and set aside.

-  Place the chicken breast in a quart size baggie or between 2 pieces of saran wrap and pound the meat to about 1/2 inch thick.

-  Once the chicken is pounded down, rub olive oil (or spray the chicken with the olive oil cooking spray) and then add the above seasonings as much or as little as you like.

-  Next add a layer of cheese (if you are following the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan, make sure to save some to top the final chicken breast with prior to cooking).  Then add the broccoli (you will likely not need an entire green container of broccoli as you will want to make sure you have enough room to be able to roll the chicken up.

-  Roll the chicken up and tie it with the kitchen twine to help it stay closed during cooking.  Then place it in a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese and additional spices if you want.

-  Place it in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the juices run clear and cooked through.

OPTIONAL:
-  If you want to bread the chicken, in three separate shallow dishes, place the flour, breadcrumbs & beaten egg.

-  Then dredge a filled, rolled chicken breast first in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs.

-  Top with extra cheese and seasonings at this point if desired and place in the baking dish and bake as directed above.

NOTE:  This is enough for one or two servings.  If you are following the 21 Day Fix plan it would be one container for each additional chicken breasts.  Also, since I am following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, I did not bread mine, but as I mentioned above I did bread my husband's.

I paired this with some brown rice and green beans to round out the meal, but you could omit the rice and serve it alongside just veggies as well!

ENJOY!!!

UPDATE 4/12/2015 - I made these again last night for dinner and I stuffed 2 with fresh baby spinach and feta cheese - oh my goodness were they delicious!  I used about 1 cp. of fresh spinach and about 2-3 tbsp. of feta cheese.  I seasoned it the same as above just changed up the filling.  Going to keep experimenting with fillings.  Want to try one with roasted red peppers, feta & spinach too sometime.  Will let you know how that one is!

~Sarah Strubhar
Independent Team Beachbody Emerald Coach