I recently made another Pinterest creation, courtesy of Brown Sugar's cooking blog, for dinner that is definitely worth sharing: Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken! A quick and easy recipe that adds a kick to your normal breaded chicken breast. I paired the dish with a red blend from Argentina. The wine, Dona Paula Estate Black Edition, blends Malbec (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (37%) and Petite Verdot (3%) together for a full body, smooth red. If I was in the mood for a white, I would have chosen a Gewurztraminer or an Alsatian Riesling to combat the heat of the jalapenos stuffed in the chicken.
The Dona Paula red blend received 94 points from James Suckling and he described it as "all here." I could not agree more, as I found this full body wine to have everything I want in a red blend. I find a majority of red blends under $20 to lack a real backbone in tannins and body, resulting in more of a sugary fruit juice. Dona Paula Red Blend expresses dark fruit, vanilla and notes of red pepper spice. Velvety tannins and a long, smooth finish are a result of the Cabernet and the Petite Verdot, which sets it apart from a typical Malbec. This wines runs anywhere from $13 to $15 for a 750ml bottle.
If you are interested in recreating this easy stuffed chicken recipe, I have included it at the bottom. highly recommend it for its flavor and its simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breast
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, diced and deseeded (about 3 small jalapeno peppers)
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs whisked
- 2 cups plain bread crumbs
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- butcher twine or toothpicks (the butcher twine holds the chicken together better)
Instructions
2. Make a slit about an inch long in the middle of each chicken breast. Just long enough to make a pocket in the middle of the breast. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Stir the cream cheese in a small bowl until its creamy and smooth. Add the cheese and diced/deseeded jalapeno peppers. Stir until well combined.
4. Take a handful of the cheese mixture and stuff the inside of each chicken breast. You want to get as much of the mixture in the pocket as you can without over stuffing it to the point where you can't close the chicken breast.
5. Use two pieces of butchers twine to secure the chicken. Wrap each piece around the chicken, double tie the twine, make a knot and cut off the extra pieces. Remember to cut the twine off after cooking!
6. Pour the flour and the bread crumbs in separate plates and set aside for the moment. Whisk your eggs and then pour into a shallow plate or bowl. Take each chicken and coat it in the flour first, then the egg and last the bread crumbs. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated in all of the layers.
7. Using a large saute pan on the stove at a medium heat, prep the pan with olive oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Once the pan is ready, saute each chicken breast for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then place the chicken on a baking sheet, covered in wax paper or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Place inside the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes and allow to cool before serving.
Hope you have a chance to try this recipe out. Have a great day!
