Stuffed chicken is a classic meal that can be raved over. This recipe takes that concept pairs an array of fresh summer vegetables with a hint of sweetness from a cranberry sauce. The array of flavors touching your mouth and scents surrounding you brings together one delicious dish.
My inspiration here was to create an alternative to Chicken Cordon Bleu – one that fit a dairy and gluten free diet. Likewise, I’ve been missing stuffed porkchops/chicken breasts, and thought that this might also fill that void. Simply put, replace the unhealthy carb/fat loaded stuffings and replace it with a fresh vegetable medley and you’re all set. And I must say that this tastes much better than what I was craving… :)
I do want to comment quickly on the cranberries. Up until a few months back, cranberries was something that I kind of tried to avoid. The seem bitter, tart, and well… strange. It’s that red stuff that you’d only have on Thanksgiving, right? I decided to try them again – not on Thanksgiving – from a recipe I found a while back. And I have to say, I’ve been missing out! While they are a bit bitter and tart if eaten raw and uncooked, they are amazing and bursting of flavor if cooked down a bit with some maple syrup. As a sauce they are incredible and my wife and I get disappointed when the sauce runs out… So I encourage you to give it a try – don’t be scared away from this recipe based on pre-conceived notions. Your taste buds will thank you.
Try this dish with your family and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your feedback.
Contents
Chicken Cordon Cranberry (AIP)
Ingredients
Maple-Cranberry Sauce
- 1 cup Frozen Cranberries
- 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/8 cup Water
Chicken Filling
- 1/2 cup Yellow Squash diced
- 1/2 pound Asparagus diced
- 1/2 cup Mushrooms diced
- 1/3 cup Red Onion diced
- 2 medium Carrots diced
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
Meat
- 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breasts thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 cups Ham diced
Instructions
Maple-Cranberry Sauce
- Combine cranberries, maple syrup and water in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have popped and the sauce has thickened.
- Set aside to cool a bit until ready to assemble the dish.
Filling
- In a large skillet heated to medium heat, sauté the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Stir in seasonings and ham, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the ham is heated up a bit.
Assemble
- Layout the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Place a layer of the cranberry sauce onto the breasts. Add a large scoop of the vegetable filling.
- Wrap the ends of each breast together, bringing to edges together to try and make a stuffed chicken log or packet. Use a toothpick or string to keep the chicken closed.
- Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
