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DV Home Cooking: Creating Robust Flavors With Cheese Stuffed Chicken

CARMEL, N.Y. -- DV Home Cooking is a new series devoted to readers and their recipes. All we ask is that you're a home cook, not a professional chef. Got a favorite dish you want to share? Send it, along with the story behind it, to DVHomeCooking@dailyvoice.com.

Carmel, N.Y. cook Tara Eacobacci.

Carmel, N.Y. cook Tara Eacobacci.

Photo Credit: Submitted

Home Cook: Tara Eacobacci, Carmel, N.Y.

"I love to cook foods with deep flavors, but since I'm extremely allergic to garlic, onions, and gluten getting those flavors could be a challenge. I refuse to allow my allergies keep me from robust flavors. One dish that I love to make is Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast in a yummy batter. This recipe can be made with gluten and garlic or gluten free without garlic or onions.

Recipe: Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast 

Ingredients: 

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)
  • 1 cup milk (any percentage is fine)
  • 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Enough Chopped herbs for sauce and batter (whichever ones you love); I use basil, parsley, and cilantro
  • 1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
  • 1 box of chopped tomatoes (if using canned tomatoes must cook longer to get tin taste out)
  • ½ tube of tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Canola oil – an inch in skillet 
  • Salt and pepper 

Prep for Sauce:

  • In a sauce pan, put olive oil, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste, herbs, salt, and pepper on high heat. When sauce bubbles stir and turn heat off. 

Prep for Batter:

  • Put flour, milk, eggs, lemon juice herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl mix to consistency of pancake batter. 

Prep for Chicken:

  • On medium heat, put skillet withcanola oil to get hot and also turn oven on to 350 degrees to preheat.
  • Put a slice with a knife or kitchen shears at the top of the thickest part of the chicken creating a pocket, being careful to not make holes. With your fingers, slide two thin slices of mozzarella cheese all the way down. 
  • Turn the heat up to high on the skillet and place chicken into the batter (not oil yet) making sure the batter covers the chicken, lift allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. When oil begins to bubble drop chicken in. Wait two minutes allowing the batter to brown, gently flip the chicken to brown on other side. 
  • During that time, get out baking pan and put a little sauce on the bottom so chicken will not stick to pan, but is not floating. When brown, put each piece into baking pan. Then pan into oven for about 30 minutes; chicken temperature should be about 160 degrees and let rest for five minutes allowing the temp to rise to 165.
  • You can add any vegetable you like for a side. In this dish, I sautée mushrooms and broccoli with burst open tomatoes and roasted red potatoes with drizzled béchamel sauce using all--purpose gluten free flour. 

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