Parmesan Stuffed Chicken

Giving up chicken was extremely difficult for me during my transition to a plant based diet; it was second only to my battle with eliminating cheese and other dairy from my meals. I often find myself recreating some of the chicken dishes I once enjoyed and this vegan stuffed chicken breast truly satisfied both my poultry and dairy desires.

This vegan chicken breast is tender, and, much to my delight turned out to be totally juicy. Once you slice your knife into it the vegan butter it simmered in oozes yummy flavors all over the cheesy interior.

You have the option to play around with the Parmesan filling here. The cheese shreds will be folded into Vegan Cream Cheese; you can go for plain cream cheese, chive, or even scallion flavored if you're feeling daring! All of the filling ingredients will pair nicely with whatever flavor cream cheese you're in the mood for. I picked mine up from my local Whole Foods.

I let the protein be the star of the plate and served this all over some simple sautéed kale, but, feel free to kick those sides up a notch! I think mashed potatoes would also be an amazing pairing (especially cheesy ones...yum!)

What You Need:

(Makes 1 Breast)

2 Thawed Gardein Scallopini Breasts

Filling:

1-2 TBSP Vegan Cream Cheese

1/3-1/2 Cup Vegan Parmesan Shreds

1/4 Cup Chopped Kale

Splash Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk (Optional)

Splash Lemon Juice (Freshly Squeezed)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Garlic & Onion Powder to Taste

Vegan Butter for Cooking (1-2 TSP)

Let's Do This:

Heat your over to 400 degrees F.

Start with completely thawed vegan chicken scallopini and mash them together to form one breast. Shape it up into the shape of a typical chicken breast. Set aside in the fridge to keep cool.

In a bowl add in your cream cheese of choice. Fold in your chopped kale and parmesan shreds. If your selected cream cheese is a bit thick, add in a splash of unsweetened plain almond milk to loosen it up a bit. It should still stick to a spoon when scooped up and turned upside down.

Squeeze in a splash of fresh lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on the outside of your vegan chicken breast. With a sharp knife cut about 3/4 of the way through your breast along the side. If the breasts seems a bit sticky you may choose to coat your knife in a small bit of avocado oil to avoid it from sticking onto the knife before cutting.

Heat butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Spoon your cheese filling into the pocket you created and brown each side of the breast in the skillet. Transfer to a baking sheet and finish in the oven 5-10 minutes until the parmesan shreds have fully melted down into the cream cheese filling.

Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!