Marinated Stuffed Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 2 b/s chicken breasts, marinated
• Marinade (recipe follows)
• 1 apple, chopped
• 2 tbsp soft goat cheese
• Pecan Coating (recipe follows)
Marinade for up to 4 chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (I also put in a sprig of fresh basil~optional)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or Regular Yellow Mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• 1/4 cup EV olive oil
• 1 to 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pecan Coating
• ½ c. oat flour
• 1 c. course ground pecans
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional…but delish)
• 1/4 c. sesame seeds

Preparation

The Marinade
1. Put the vinegar, Italian seasoning, mustard, powders if using and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag, drop in the chicken breast in the bag. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Marinade the chicken at least 2-4 hours. Cooking tip: Marinade can be added to chicken and frozen for future use.
The Chicken
2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut slits in the marinated chicken breast to create large pockets for stuffing. Stuff each chicken breast with chopped apples and goat cheese. Insert toothpicks to seal the chicken breast and hold the stuffing in place during cooking. Set aside.
The Pecan Coating
3. Prepare a square baking dish rubbed with canola or olive oil (I love to use stone wear…it requires no oil prep). Combine flour, ground pecans, seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, peppers and sesame seeds in a large round bowl. Place sealed/stuffed marinated chicken breasts one at a time in pecan flour mixture, gently pressing the stuffed chicken until well coated on both sides. Place coated chicken breasts in dish and bake uncovered approx 25-45 min, depending on oven. Chicken is done when the inside of the chicken is no longer pink. My chicken cooked in 40 minutes and absolutely delicious!