Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Weight Watchers. We love this one. If I do not have sun-dried tomatoes, I will dice cherry tomatoes into small pieces and add to the cheese.
Weight Watchers. We love this one. If I do not have sun-dried tomatoes, I will dice cherry tomatoes into small pieces and add to the cheese.
- Carbohydrate 3.02920993961672 g
- Cholesterol 84.3398 mg
- Fat 3.47243820826259 g
- Fiber 0.24990245753108 g
- Protein 36.5903335865786 g
- Saturated Fat 0.716589718039186 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (165g)
- Sodium 526.714471969034 mg
- Sugar 2.77930748208564 g
- Trans Fat 0.570934327856796 g
- Calories 198 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheaat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray nonstick baking pan with nonstick spray.
- With fork, mix together feta, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper in small bowl until blended., Spread panko on sheet of wax paper.
- With small sharp knife, cut pocket, about 2 1/2 inches long, in each chicken breast. Put one-fourth of cheese mixture into each pocket; press edges closed. Brush top of each breast with mayonnaise. Press coated side of chicken, one breast at a time, in crumbs. Place, coated side up, in prepared baking pan.
- Lightly spray crumbs with nonstick spray. Bake until chicken is cooked through and crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
Chicken breasts cooked at 425 degrees Fahrenheit require exact pocket dimensions to prevent the interior moisture from escaping before the exterior panko achieves a golden crunch. When you slit the thickest part of the meat to a length of roughly two and a half inches, you create a thermal cavity that protects the lean protein from drying out while simultaneously melting the crumbled cheese blend.
- Pair this poultry with roasted asparagus tossed in olive oil, as the sulfur compounds in cruciferous vegetables balance the sharp, salty tang of the feta cheese and the concentrated umami of the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Brush the exterior with exactly one teaspoon of fat-free mayonnaise per breast to act as an adhesive agent that browns more evenly than butter under high dry heat.
- Substitute chopped fresh cherry tomatoes at a one-to-one volume ratio if sun-dried tomatoes are unavailable, though patting them dry on paper towels first is essential to prevent excess moisture from rendering the panko soggy.
- Utilize a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast, removing the pan from the oven the moment internal temperature registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid rubbery textures.
Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though reheating them gently in a toaster oven rather than a microwave preserves the integrity of the breadcrumb crust. Proper thermal management transforms lean white meat from a dry culinary hazard into a dish with distinct contrasting layers.
