Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Oh, the wonderful hot months of summer. When it's super hot out, I notice my appetite decreases, and only wonderfully tempting morsels can get me to take some time out to eat. You might find this to be true for you too. I enjoy a barbecue, but I prefer veggies and lighter meats like chicken or fish. One of my go to recipes is chicken wrapped asparagus and bacon bits, consisting of moist chicken, baked and wrapped around asparagus and butter, with a bit of chives and sour cream. Once it was finished baking, I would sprinkle the bacon bits on top and serve, and it was usually devoured in seconds. As asparagus is a diuretic, I wanted to substitute it with another vegetable that would go well with the recipe. I saw recipes for chicken cordon blue and for chicken Kiev, but both of those call for meats and butters and not a healthy alternative. When I had almost had enough of searching, I came across a mention of broccoli and cheese wrapped in chicken filets and was excited. I could easily substitute the asparagus for broccoli and it would taste great! I was determined to make this for an upcoming meal to test it out for myself.

Fast forward to the weekend and the inlaws announcing they were coming for dinner, so it was a perfect chance to try it out. The prep was minimal and compared to the original recipe calling for asparagus, and I was able to find some exotic cheeses to melt inside the chicken breasts as well. After they were baked (and smelled delicious) I brought them to the table and they were served!. They were a hit! I had made a few extra in case we wanted them for a Sunday brunch but every last chicken was eaten! No one even mentioned that I added even more broccoli than the recipe asked for and added a bit of spinach as well. My husband was so proud and after everyone left, he even mentioned what a healthy and tasty meal I prepared. This, and the fact that the inlaws announced they were coming over more frequently for dinner allowed me to conclude that my dinner recipe was a sweet success... Except maybe I will make a few extra "to-go" so the inlaws don't get too comfortable with my healthy and delicious dinners.

It's so awesome when you find something that works out so well, and that you can make time and time again when you have company, or a dinner gathering, or a potluck that you want to share some food with. This recipe is so incredibly easy, that you will want to have it on hand to make whenever you have such an occasion. So make sure you pin it on Pintrest or save the link, or bookmark it in your browser under your favourites. If you want a recipe to feed your family or impress a date, or even want more healthy and balanced meal suggestions, I would recommend this chicken and broccoli recipe from "Skinny Taste".