Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Salami
Inside The Stuffed Chicken Breasts
This is really a variation on my chicken oregano theme; a breaded chicken breast with some cheese on top finished in the oven. In this case a thick chicken breast is cut in half, the halves pounded thin, and then some slices of salami are placed between the halves before breading, browning and baking. The flavor is a little more complex but no less delicious with all the cheese on top.
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 to 6 slices of genoa salami or other italian salami product
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz shredded parmigiano reggiano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
kosher salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a sharp knife cut the chicken breasts in half through the wide part of the breast. Put the cut breast pieces one at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place one piece of the breast on a plate, and add 2 to 3 thin slices of salami. Cover the salami with the other piece of the chicken breast. Continue the process with the second breast.
Inserting the Salami
In a large saute pan heat the oil and the butter over medium high heat. Place the bread crumbs on a flat plate and the beaten egg in a wide shallow bowl. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg first, cover with the bread crumbs and place the chicken in the heated oil. My pan was not big enough so I had to do one breast at a time. Brown to a golden color about 2 to 3 minutes per side and place the breasts in a baking dish.
Topping with the Cheese
Sprinkle the top of each breast with the mozzarella first and then the parmigiana. I find that the parmigiana will fall into the gaps in the mozzarella. Cover the baking dish with foil and place in the oven. These particular breasts were very large so I cooked them covered for 30 minutes removed the cover and then finished them uncovered for 15 minutes to allow the cheese to brown. For smaller breast you may want to reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
On The Plate
Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the breasts to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.