Chicken doesn’t have to be boring – this Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken is not only stuffed with goodness, but then it is coated in a crispy corn flake coating and baked.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Photos Updated April 2017
Elevate Your Dinner: Crispy Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken
Are you looking to add excitement back to your weekly meal plan? Say goodbye to bland chicken dinners and welcome a dish that promises both comfort and culinary delight. This Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken recipe is a testament to how simple ingredients can create an extraordinary meal. Imagine succulent chicken breasts, tenderized and generously filled with a rich, savory mixture of sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, a hint of onion, and a touch of piquant hot sauce. Each stuffed chicken parcel is then meticulously coated in a crunchy corn flake crust and baked until golden brown and perfectly crisp. It’s a complete sensory experience that transforms an ordinary ingredient into a show-stopping dish.
The concept of stuffed chicken breast recipes is a fantastic way to infuse variety and flavor into your cooking repertoire. It allows you to experiment with different fillings, but this particular combination of cheddar and bacon is a classic for a reason. The salty, smoky notes of the bacon perfectly complement the creamy, sharp tang of the cheddar, creating a filling that’s rich and satisfying. When wrapped inside lean chicken and enhanced with a truly unique crispy coating, you get a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that will impress even the most discerning palates. This dish is not just food; it’s an experience that makes dinner memorable.
A little wisdom I’ve gained over years in the kitchen, highlighted by a recipe update in 2017, is the invaluable role of a meat mallet. While it might seem like a minor detail, properly pounding your chicken breasts is crucial for this recipe. It ensures an even thickness, leading to uniform cooking and preventing dry spots. More importantly, it makes the chicken pliable and easy to roll around the generous filling, ensuring every piece holds its shape beautifully. This seemingly small step significantly contributes to the success and enjoyment of your Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken, making the process smoother and the results consistently delicious. If you don’t own one, it’s a kitchen tool worth adding to your collection!
The Essential Tool: Mastering the Meat Mallet for Perfect Chicken
My kitchen has always been the heart of my home, a place of creativity and comfort. Despite it not being a sprawling gourmet space, I consider myself fortunate. Like many home cooks, I’ve had to be mindful of kitchen gadget accumulation. Yet, some tools prove to be indispensable, earning their spot on my “must-have” list. The meat mallet is one such revelation, especially after perfecting recipes like this stuffed chicken breast recipe.
For a long time, I tried to make do without a meat mallet, resorting to a heavy frying pan to flatten chicken. While it can work in a pinch, it’s often a messy and frustrating endeavor, rarely yielding the perfectly even, thin cutlets needed for successful stuffing. As you might see in some of my earlier photos, achieving that consistent thickness was a challenge. Uneven chicken cooks unevenly – you end up with dry, overcooked edges and thicker, undercooked centers. This directly impacts the ability to roll the chicken tightly around the filling, potentially leading to leakage or an unsightly presentation. The experience solidified my belief: a meat mallet is a non-negotiable kitchen essential for anyone who frequently cooks chicken or other meats.
Using a meat mallet offers several benefits beyond just aesthetics. Firstly, it tenderizes the chicken by breaking down the muscle fibers, resulting in a significantly more tender and palatable meal. This is particularly important for leaner cuts like chicken breast, which can dry out quickly. Secondly, pounding the chicken to an even 1/4-inch thickness guarantees uniform cooking from edge to edge. This means no more guessing games or having to sacrifice texture. Thirdly, for stuffed dishes, a thin, pliable chicken breast acts as the perfect wrapper, allowing you to create compact, beautiful rolls that hold their savory filling securely. The ease and superior results a meat mallet brings to dishes like our Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken make it a small but mighty investment for any passionate home cook.
The Perfect Symphony of Flavors and Textures
The magic of this homemade stuffed chicken truly lies in its incredible combination of flavors and textures. The interior is a delightful explosion of savory richness. We start with crispy, smoky bacon, cooked to perfection and finely chopped, then married with sharp, creamy shredded cheddar cheese. This classic pairing alone is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. To elevate the stuffing further, a hint of finely chopped onion adds an aromatic depth, and a dash of hot sauce introduces a subtle warmth and complexity that perfectly balances the richness of the cheese and bacon without overwhelming the palate. As it bakes, this filling melts into a molten, irresistible core, creating a surprise with every slice.
But the true hallmark of this dish, and what makes it stand out from other easy chicken recipes, is its unique exterior: the crispy chicken coating made from corn flakes. Unlike traditional breadcrumbs, crushed corn flakes offer an unparalleled crunch and a lighter, airier texture. When baked, they transform into a gorgeously golden, shatteringly crisp crust that provides a magnificent contrast to the tender chicken and gooey filling. The addition of dried thyme leaves to the corn flake mixture infuses the coating with a warm, earthy aroma that complements the savory stuffing. This layered approach ensures that each bite delivers a delightful interplay of textures – the crisp exterior, the juicy chicken, and the creamy, flavorful core – making this baked chicken dinner an absolute winner.
Complement Your Meal: Ideal Sides for Stuffed Chicken
A dish as rich and satisfying as Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken deserves equally thoughtful accompaniments. The goal is to choose sides that balance the meal, offering fresh flavors, contrasting textures, or comforting staples. Here are some excellent choices to create a well-rounded and memorable dinner:
- Sautéed Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes: This vibrant side offers a refreshing and crisp counterpoint to the savory chicken. The brightness of the tomatoes and the snap of the green beans provide a welcome freshness that cuts through the richness of the bacon and cheese.
- Scalloped Corn and Broccoli: For a comforting and slightly creamy option, this dish introduces a different texture and a touch of sweetness from the corn, while the broccoli adds a healthy green element.
- Easy Dinner Rolls: Warm, soft, and fluffy dinner rolls are always a crowd-pleaser. They are perfect for soaking up any delicious juices from the chicken and provide a comforting, bready texture that complements the crispy chicken.
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus: A simple yet elegant choice. Toss fresh asparagus with olive oil, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese, then roast until tender-crisp. Its slightly earthy and nutty flavor pairs beautifully.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes: The ultimate comfort food side, smooth and buttery mashed potatoes provide a rich, creamy texture that perfectly complements the crispy chicken. They’re a classic for a reason!
- Light Garden Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette: For a lighter touch, a fresh mixed green salad dressed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette offers a palate-cleansing contrast, adding crunch and bright flavors.
- Wild Rice Pilaf: Offering a more sophisticated starch, a nutty wild rice pilaf can add depth and an interesting texture, enhancing the overall dining experience.
More Inspiring Chicken Dinner Ideas
Chicken’s versatility makes it a beloved protein in kitchens worldwide. If you’ve enjoyed the creative twist of this Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken, you’ll love exploring other innovative and delicious chicken recipes to keep your meals fresh and exciting. Here are some more ideas to spark your culinary imagination:
- Pressure Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken: When time is of the essence, this recipe delivers incredibly tender chicken coated in a luscious, sticky honey garlic sauce. It’s quick, easy, and bursting with flavor.
- Easy Lemon Chicken with Butternut Squash: A delightful blend of bright, zesty lemon and sweet, earthy butternut squash creates a wholesome and comforting meal, perfect for autumn evenings.
- Chicken with Tomato Parmesan Sauce: This Italian-inspired dish features tender chicken simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce, topped with melted Parmesan. It’s wonderfully comforting and pairs well with pasta or crusty bread.
- Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Chicken and Veggies: Simplify dinner with this easy one-pan meal. Chicken pieces and your favorite vegetables are roasted together with aromatic herbs and lemon for minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken: Indulge in pan-seared chicken breasts smothered in a luxurious creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and garlic. A restaurant-quality dish you can make at home.
- Chicken and Black Bean Burrito Bowls: For a fun and customizable meal, these bowls are packed with seasoned chicken, black beans, corn, rice, and your favorite toppings, offering a healthy and hearty option.
- Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken: A quick and flavorful Asian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken and noodles tossed in a rich and spicy peanut sauce.
Like what you see here? Make sure you are following Taste and Tell for more great recipes and ideas!!
Facebook ** Pinterest ** Twitter ** Instagram ** Google+
or you can subscribe to my newsletter
Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz each)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cups corn flakes crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175°C). Prepare a baking sheet by placing a wire cooling rack on top. This setup is crucial for allowing air to circulate around the chicken, ensuring a perfectly crispy coating. Set the prepared baking sheet aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the shredded cheddar cheese, the cooked and finely chopped bacon, the finely chopped onion, and the hot sauce. Mix these ingredients thoroughly until well combined, creating your flavorful stuffing mixture. Set this bowl aside.
- Carefully cut each of the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise. This will yield four thinner pieces of chicken, which are easier to work with for stuffing. Take one piece of chicken at a time, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap, and use a meat mallet to pound it to an even 1/4-inch thickness. This step helps tenderize the chicken and makes it pliable for rolling. Place about 1/4 of the cheese and bacon mixture onto one end of each pounded chicken breast. Tightly roll up the chicken, starting from the end with the filling, and secure it with one or two toothpicks to prevent the stuffing from escaping during baking. Repeat with the remaining chicken and filling.
- Set up a three-station dredging assembly for coating the chicken. In the first shallow bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and seasoned salt. In a second shallow bowl, beat the egg thoroughly. In the third shallow bowl, combine the crushed corn flakes and dried thyme leaves. Take each stuffed chicken breast and first dredge it completely in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Next, dip it into the beaten egg, ensuring all surfaces are covered. Finally, roll it generously in the corn flake mixture, pressing gently to ensure the flakes adhere well to every side. Place the fully coated chicken breasts onto the prepared wire rack on the baking sheet.
- Carefully transfer the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (74°C) when checked with a meat thermometer at its thickest part. The corn flake coating should be beautifully golden brown and crispy.
- Once baked, remove the chicken from the oven. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before carefully removing the toothpicks. Serve your perfectly cooked, crispy, and flavorful Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken warm, alongside your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts.
Pro Tip for Extra Crispy Coating: For an even crispier and more golden-brown crust, lightly spray the corn flake-coated chicken with cooking spray or drizzle with a small amount of melted butter just before placing it in the oven. This helps achieve a beautiful color and an irresistibly crunchy texture.
Storage and Reheating: Leftover Cheddar and Bacon Stuffed Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat while preserving some crispness, wrap loosely in foil and warm in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) until heated through. Alternatively, microwave for quicker reheating, though the coating may soften slightly.
Nutrition Information
SHOP THIS POST:
Don’t miss a thing! Follow me on Pinterest to see what I’m pinning!
Visit Taste and Tell’s profile on Pinterest.