Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Are you looking for the ultimate comfort food that comes together in under an hour? If so, this recipe is for you. Take your classic chicken Parmesan up a notch by stuffing it with melty mozzarella cheese. We like serving this dish along with some cooked pasta noodles and a fresh caesar salad for a decadent and hearty meal.
Recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, brings us this recipe for stuffed chicken Parmesan. "This recipe amps up the cheesy flavor in classic chicken Parmesan and because of the extra cheese, the chicken doesn't get dried out," Carli says.
We typically like serving this dish on a weekend night or as a celebratory meal to acknowledge some momentous occasion, but because it comes together in less than an hour, it could easily be planned to serve on a busy weeknight as well. That versatility means you will likely make this one a lot. You're going to want to save this recipe.
Gather your ingredients
To make this stuffed chicken Parmesan, you can start by gathering the ingredients. For this recipe, you will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, flour, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, red sauce, and cooked pasta. Any kind of pasta will do, but Carli opts for small shells.
Create pocket in chicken then dredge
Preheat your oven to 400 F. Then, using a sharp knife, cut along the side of the chicken breast, creating a pocket. Later on, you will stuff these pockets with cheese. For now, create a pocket within each chicken breast. Then, in three low, shallow bowls, set out the dredging ingredients: one with the flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with a mixture of the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Take a chicken breast and coat both sides in flour. Next, dip it into the eggs. Lastly, coat it in the panko mixture. Repeat this process with all of the chicken breasts.
Sear both sides of chicken before stuffing with cheese
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Allow the oil to heat until sizzling before adding in the chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until the breading is golden brown. "It's important to note that the chicken will not be cooked through at this point, but that is okay," Carli explains. "You will finish cooking it in the oven. For now, you just want to achieve a nice golden exterior."
Remove the skillet from the stove top. Then, carefully stuff each chicken breast with a few tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake the stuffed chicken Parmesan
Lastly, cover the chicken breasts in red sauce. Place the skillet into the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the skillet and add the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Return the skillet to the oven to cook for another five minutes, until the cheese is melted. Now you are all ready to serve up your stuffed chicken Parmesan on top of cooked pasta noodles.
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 24 ounces jarred red sauce
- 1 pound pasta shells, cooked, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast (you'll later stuff cheese in it).
- In a low, shallow bowl, add the flour. In another low shallow bowl, add the eggs and beat them. In a third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Dredge both sides of a chicken breast in the flour. Then, coat in the eggs. Lastly, dredge both sides in the panko mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle all chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the olive oil.
- Once sizzling, add the chicken. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side — the goal is not to cook it through but to just get some nice coloring.
- Remove the chicken from the stovetop. Carefully, stuff each chicken breast with about 1-2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Pour the red sauce over the chicken breasts. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven. Sprinkle with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the chicken from the oven. Serve with cooked pasta.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 1,334 |
| Total Fat | 44.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19.4 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 357.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 127.4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.3 g |
| Sodium | 1,233.8 mg |
| Protein | 99.1 g |
