Parmesean Crusted Stuffed Chicken

Spring has officially sprung in Hallock Minnesota so I'll keep today's post short and to the point so we all can get back to enjoying the beautiful weather Mother Nature has finally given us!
Today's recipe is simple and healthy. My family really enjoyed this dish last week and I hope you do too! It's even easy enough your husband can cook this for Mother's Day! hint! hint! ;D

Ingredients

• 3 boneless chicken breast
• extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, crushed crackers or other coarse crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 over sized Tb cottage cheese
• 1 Tb sour cream
• 1 Tb crushed basil
• salt & pepper
• finely diced fully cooked pepperoni, bacon, or prosciutto
• finely diced bell pepper - green, red, yellow
• finely diced onion - optional
• about a dozen toothpicks

Directions
Mix cottage cheese, sour cream, basil and a pinch of salt in a blender till smooth. Set aside.

Mix flour, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and a dash of salt and pepper in a seperate bowl. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tb EVOO in a skillet over medium high heat and preheat oven to 350. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken to about 1/4" thickness. Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture over the surface of the chicken leaving approximately 1/4" around the edges. Sprinkle diced bell pepper, onion and pepperoni over the cheese mixture. You can also add some additional Parmesan cheese on top of the veg for an extra cheesy kick. Roll chicken jelly-roll style tucking in the sides as you go. Secure with toothpicks.

Dredge chicken roll in egg then in flour mixture. Place seam side down in heated EVOO. Cook approximately 3 minutes on all sides until a nice crust forms. Place crusted chicken in a greased baking dish. Finish cooking chicken in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Jenn cooks and crafts her way to a better bottom line at the Frugal Front Porch. She blogs about gardening, crafts, recipes and raising a family on a budget without sacrificing the finer things in life. Make sure you stop by the new blog meme Strut Your Stuff where you can link up your favorite posts from around the blogosphere!