Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Pesto

There are a few recipes that you know that you'll love because it contains some of your favourite food flavours.  For me, this recipe had my name written all over it!  I'm crazy for anything goat cheese and pesto.  Also, I love stuffed chicken or chicken with crispy breading.  This recipe has become a favourite  of mine that I've already made a good 3 to 4 times during the summer.  Although funny enough, it's not my boyfriend's favourite flavour profile so I love pairing it with Aglio e Olio pasta (garlic pasta), which is one of his favourite pastas.  That's why the pictures below only show 3 chicken breasts because sometimes I halve the recipe to make it mostly for me and I enjoy the leftovers.  I know I'll be making these in the fall with my batch of garden pesto!

I rolled about about a 1/4 cup of filling into a log and rolled it into the pounded chicken.

The chicken got placed in a baking dish.  It was a bit of a tight fit so feel free to space it out more.

I brushed the chicken with the remaining mayonnaise mixture.

Then sprinkled the breadcrumbs over each chicken breast.

The chicken got nice a golden brown in the oven.  

Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serves 6

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons pesto (homemade perferable)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Lemon wedges (for serving)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Stir the cream cheese, goat cheese, thyme, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together until smooth.

Pound the chicken to an even 1/4-inch thickness.  Pat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.  Mound 1/4 cup of the cream cheese filling at the wider end of the chicken, form the cheese into a log, and then roll the chicken up.  (You will have some leftover filling.)

Arrange the chicken rolls, seam-side down, about 1/2 inch apart in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish coated lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Mix any remaining cream cheese filling with the mayonnaise, mustard, pesto, and lemon juice, then brush the mixture over the tops and sides of the chicken.  Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the butter, then press onto the tops and sides of the chicken rolls.

Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden and the very center of the chicken rolls registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes.  Serve with the lemon wedges.

To Make Ahead
After the breadcrumbs have been pressed on, the dish can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 8 hours.  Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed, increasing the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.

Source: slightly modified from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook