Spinach Artichoke Dip-Stuffed Chicken

I secretly chose this recipe so there would be leftover spinach and artichoke dip for me to snack on. That said, it was pretty good. A lot of the seasoning is to taste so you can do a lot to customize the recipe and get it just like you want it. For me, that means lots of garlic.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 4 oz prepared spinach artichoke dip
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• handful fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a sharp knife to create a pocket in each chicken breast, being careful not to slice all the way through. Stuff each pocket with at least a heaping tablespoon of spinach artichoke dip. Amount can vary based on size of chicken breast.

Use two toothpicks to close each breast and contain the dip. Season each breast liberally with salt, pepper, dried basil and a little garlic powder. In a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, arrange the chicken. In a medium bowl, combine the artichoke hearts with the tomatoes, olive oil, flour, garlic, more dried basil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Top the chicken with this artichoke mixture. 

Bake the chicken uncovered until an internal thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken reads 155 degrees, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, top the whole dish with the mozzarella cheese and return it to the oven to cook until the temperature reaches 165 degrees, about another 5 minutes. Top chicken with fresh basil ribbons.

NOTES: The original recipe for this was VERY vague. No amount of chicken, spinach artichoke dip, no cooking times....After making it for our family, I made my best guess on the amounts used and cooking times. As always, the time depends on the size of your chicken breasts, but it at least gives you a guideline. It also mentions Parmesan in the ingredients list but forgot to say when to add it. I made an educated guess. *shrug*

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe from www.menumusings.blogspot.com