Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Here's a great way to get your week started off on the right foot. Go home take out out your chicken and stuff it! It seems like all meats are better when stuffed. I don't know if it's the treat of cutting into a meat and seeing the filling pop out or how good the filling actually tastes since it usually consists of a lot of cheese. It's probably the cheese. We actually doubled the stuffing ingredients from the original recipe (amounts we used below). We definitely recommend even doubling what ours calls for. The chicken parts that encase the cheesy stuffing taste the best, which is why we suggest making enough to really stuff them nice and full. You could probably even do a 'double egg dredge' according to Michael. After the first dip in egg white and breadcrumbs, just do it one more time. This will make sure there is lots of really great breadcrumb covering. Modified from Eating Well. 3-4 servings. Hope ya'll enjoy this recipe we sure did.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• generous 1/4 cup chopped ham (about 2-3 deli slices)
  
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Use a baking sheet with sides and lightly coat it with cooking spray.
2. Mix cheese, ham, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up the breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
5. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
6. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20-25 minutes.