Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

I have recently gotten tired of fixing the same meals every couple of weeks.  It seemed as though we had no variety and were always eating the same thing over and over.  Obviously I turned to Pinterest!  This week, almost every one of our meals has a recipe I found on Pinterest.  Last night, we had:

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

photo from pin originating at CassieCraves.blogspot.com

The recipe was super easy and so good!  I did tweak it a teensy bit (my variations are in red) though to better fit our taste.  I served this with sweet corn on the cob and pineapple chunks.

Here is Cassie's recipe... with my variations.  Thanks, Cassie!!


Jalapeno Popper Stuffed ChickenSource: adapted from Allrecipes

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened  I used fat free whipped cream cheese spread.
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese  I used Habanero flavored cheese.
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
4 strips of bacon, diced  I left the bacon out.
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs and seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder)  I didn't season the bread crumbs.
1/4 cup vegetable oil  I left this out.

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels.  I skipped this step because we didn't use bacon... Mike doesn't care for it much.

2. Stir together the cream cheese, cheddar  Habanero cheese, bacon, and jalapenos in a small bowl.

3. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast, and fill with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks.  Because it was just the two of us eating this, I cut the recipe in half.  Also, Mike and I usually just split one chicken breast half.  I was still able to cut a pocket, but I didn't use toothpicks to secure it.  The pocket actually turned out being like a bowl for the cheese mixture.

4. Roll the chicken breasts in bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. If your chicken breasts are thick, like mine were, they can be finished in a 350-degree oven.  I didn't fry my chicken.  I just placed the stuffed chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet and baked at 375° for about 20-30 minutes, until done.

It was really good!  Mike and I both agreed that we will definitely be having this one again!  On a side note, Taylor tried corn on the cob for the first time and LOVED it!  she was super cute eating it, too :o)