Jalapeño cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts

Some days I picture myself in a Family Circus comic, where you can see the path of footprints through the house with all of the unnecessary turns and stops all the way through. If I tracked my steps around this house in a single day, it would be hilarious! Back, forth, around in circles, up, down, repeat. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE IT. I love being at home with my boys, and even on the rough days I feel like I appreciate almost every little moment with them. There will be a day when I will miss this circus, and I always try to remember that.

So here in my circus-like kitchen, with the performers doing acrobatics around me, I made this totally yummy stuffed chicken. It was sooo good, you guys! And not "too" spicy (i.e., not too spicy to serve to guests). And it is super easy to prepare.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In each of 6 defrosted chicken breast halves, cut a slit horizontally into the breast without going all the way through to the other side.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add:

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add:

8-oz. package of cream cheese

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Stir until the cheese is melted.

Divide the mixture between the 6 breasts and spoon into the openings.

Seal the ends and secure with toothpicks. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish. I propped the breasts on their ends so that they were stuffing-side up because I was afraid the guts would leak out if I would have laid them on their sides. It worked well having them stacked like tacos.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove the toothpicks and serve warm. If you are feeling crazy, serve with salsa and guacamole.

From my circus to yours!

Printable recipe: Jalapeno cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts

Artichoke and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breasts

I have felt mildly to moderately insane over the past few days. Dan has been immersed in a skydiving course, so the little boys and I have been flying solo. I try not to speak of bodily fluids too much on my food blog, but I will just say we have had our share of bodily-fluid-related incidents, as well as our share of meltdowns, tantrums and outbursts. Weee! Fun times! People keep telling me that one day I will miss this crazy time in our lives, so I do my best to absorb every bit of it. Even when it gets crazier than I ever could have imagined life to be.

One of the things that always keeps me feeling sane is cooking and baking! I was happy when a friend asked if I had any stuffed chicken breast recipes on my blog because I did not! I was more than happy to come up with a few options for her. Here is my first attempt. Another will follow in the next few days. Enjoy this one! I will definitely make it again.

Preaheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9x13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray and set aside.

In each of 10 defrosted chicken breast halves (I made a huge batch, so cut back, as needed), cut a slit horizontally into the breast without going all the way through to the other side.

Chop an 8-oz. jar of julienne sun-ripened dried tomatoes.

Drain and chop a 13.75-oz. can of artichoke hearts.

Chop fresh basil to equal a 1/2 cup.

In a medium bowl, combine:

The chopped sun-dried tomatoes

The chopped artichoke hearts

The chopped basil (I debated between adding basil or fresh spinach; spinach would taste great, too!)

8-oz. package crumbled feta cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix well.

Divide the mixture between the 10 chicken breast halves and spoon into the openings.

Seal the ends as best as possible and secure with 2 toothpicks each. Divide the chicken between the 2 prepared baking dishes and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the toothpicks and serve warm.

Printable recipe: Artichoke and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breasts

Cheese-Stuffed Peppers

This is Week #20 of my 2011 cooking challenge! Click on the above graphic to view all P&TC recipes. All recipes created for this challenge come from the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2010: An Entire Year of Recipes.

Since the moment I opened my F&W cookbook, this very recipe has been screaming to me. The weather is finally gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, here in good ol' Minnesota (and yes, the pile of snow still stands, but it is slowly shrinking), so grilling season is in full swing! There is nothing better than coming home from work on a beautiful day and opening our doors and relaxing and playing with my boys outside while scents of grilled food float through the neighborhood. Aahhhh...

These stuffed peppers are a perfect grill-weather treat. They would be great as appetizers for a party or just a Mexican side dish. In my case, when I made them the other night, they were a full meal. My husband wasn't home from work yet and my boys had already eaten, so I sat with knife and fork and devoured two entire cheesy peppers all by myself. I'm not ashamed!

To get started, combine the following in a medium bowl:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Light a grill.

Using a small, sharp knife, remove (and reserve) the stems from:

4 Anaheim or Cubanelle peppers

4 baby bell peppers

4 small poblano chiles

Cut around the insides of the peppers to detach the membranes and remove the seeds. Using a butter knife, fill the peppers with the cheese mixture and reattach the tops of the peppers. Rub the peppers with olive oil.

Grill the peppers over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until the peppers are blistered all over and the cheese filling is piping hot, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the peppers to plates and serve!

The warm, gooey cheese combined with the slight zing, and even sweetness, from the peppers makes an incredible little summertime treat.

Click here for a printable recipe!