Into my mind comes chicken rollatini and that idea bounces around and builds like a snowball until I end up with…
Chicken rollatini stuffed with pureed artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella cheese and finished in a coating of seasoned panko breadcrumbs then lightly pan-fried to a crisp and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
I know, you’re probably thinking, “What’s this guys problem? One day he’s making a quick pasta dish and the next he’s butterflying chicken breasts ?! Who the heck even has artichoke hearts in their pantry let alone sun-dried tomatoes?! What the heck are Panko anyway?!”
No worries my people…no worries. This dish is actually really easy and fairly quick to whip up depending on your kitchen skills. If you have the ingredients on hand it makes for a great main course. IMHO, you don’t even have to follow this one verbatim…I used fresh mozz, but I bet Swiss or Gruyère would be 100x better. Get creative.
Serves 3-4
Prep time: 20mins
Cook time: 10mins
Get yourself:
6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chilled)
2C Marinated artichoke hearts
1C Marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1lb Swiss, Gruyère, or even Madrigal (I used fresh mozz, but I think a Swiss would be MUCH better)
4 Cloves roasted garlic or 2 cloves fresh garlic
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1T Butter
2C Panko breadcrumbs
1T Parsley
1C Grated Pecorino Romano
1t Garlic powder
Salt&Cracked
A good fillet knife
Food processor
Toothpicks
If the chicken is semi-thawed it’s easier to butterfly
Place one hand firmly on top of chicken and swipe knife towards you being careful not to split the chicken in half
Chicken should open up like a book
If the breasts you’re using are thick then lay some Saran wrap on top and pound to 1/4″
Use a heavy object like an empty wine bottle if you don’t have a meat mallet
Time to prep the filling…
In a food processor fitted with steel blade combine artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, s&cracked
DO NOT turn processor on. Instead you’re going to pulse to create a chunky filling
Taste filling and adjust for s&cracked
I’m warning you this filling is really good. You may be tempted to spread on crackers
Come to think of it…
This would taste really good as an app served on crackers with goat cheese!!
Jenius
Ok, so once the filling satisfies your buds move on to the stuffing
Place a thin layer of filling on the butterflied breast
Next up grab some slices of cheese
I hope you listened to me and went with Swiss
I’m just saying
Sprinkle some much-loved grated Pecorino Romano on top
Now for the fun part…
Making the rollatini…
Roll up the chicken like a jelly roll being careful not to lose any filling
Push fallout from the sides back in
Stab with a bunch of toothpicks to hold together
Outside of the chicken should be wet and oily, this is perfect for adhering panko
At this point heat your oil and butter over medium flame in a heavy bottomed skillet
While that heats mix up the crumbs
No pics of breading; lo siento
In a shallow dish combine panko, Pecorino, Parsley, garlic powder, and s&p
Roll chicken around in panko mix
Add to pan and fry ~5-7mins per side
(See my variation suggestions for other cooking methods)
Pick the runt of the rollatini’s and sacrifice to check for doneness
Plate and drizzle with balsamic reduction
To make reduction add 1C good quality balsamic to a small pot over medium flame and reduce until thick, stir
OR
Buy it
When you cut this bad boy open cheese is going to ooze out…
…Damn it’s good!
P.s. Here’s the problem with taking pics for the blog when you’re starving…you rush to get the food on the table and forget to take money shots! I would’ve got a nice pic of the cheese oozing out or something…my bad!
Variations:
Try grilling them over a medium-high flame for 5-7 mins on each side
Bake @ 350F for about 20mins. Turn over after 10mins
Experiment with different cheeses; maybe a sharp cheddar or goat cheese
Try using kalamata olives in place of sun-dried tomatoes
Throw a thin slice of ham or prosciutto (reduce added salt if you do this)
Dip in flour, then egg, then panko
