Review: Brie and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Chicken

[pmmahan]

this is a good one! My FH (future husband http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif ) loved the onions. I must say, it was very, very good. I'd rate it an 9 for taste, a 7 for prep. The prep isn't that bad, it really is pretty easy, just a bit time consuming between caramelizing the onions, stuffing the chicken, cooking it, then making the sauce.
The onions were sweet enough, and the brie added a creaminess, and the sage sauce complemented the dish well.
I served it with a Talus Chardonnay, and couldn't believe I had stumbled across such a great pairing! It brought out the flavors in the stuffing ten fold! Delish

[pmmahan]

Leane-
I'll post it when i get home tonight - I have it in Mastercook. Have you tried the artichoke and feta stuffed chix breasts? Those are also very good - another of my favorites...(and my fiance's) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Leanne]

Originally posted by pmmahan:
Leane-
I'll post it when i get home tonight - I have it in Mastercook. Have you tried the artichoke and feta stuffed chix breasts? Those are also very good - another of my favorites...(and my fiance's) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I haven't tried it either - so if you want to post it too, that would be great. Thanks a bunch for your time.

[pmmahan]

Brie and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Chix Breasts
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
4 , thinly sliced
2/3 cup dry white wine, divided
2 ounces Brie or Camembert cheese, rind removed and cut into small pieces (about 2 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
OR
3/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
Sage sprigs (optional)
1.Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion; sauté 30 seconds or until golden brown. Add sliced garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup wine; cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon onion mixture into a bowl; let cool. Stir in Brie, salt, and pepper.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the onion mixture into each pocket.

3. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

4. Add 1/3 cup wine, minced onion, sage, and minced garlic to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil, and cook 7 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce with chicken. Garnish with fresh sage, if desired.

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast half and 3 tablespoons sauce

Artichoke and Feta Stuffed Chicken
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke bottoms
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped chives, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, divided
8 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Drain artichokes in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop artichoke bottoms. Combine artichokes, cheese, 2 tablespoons chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon lemon rind in a medium bowl; stir well.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup artichoke mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken breasts, and sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside; keep warm. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining chicken breasts. Add reserved artichoke liquid, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind to skillet. Combine cornstarch and lemon juice; stir well. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon sauce over chicken. Top with 2 tablespoons chives.

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce

[Leanne]

I would love this recipe if someone can post it. I did the search on the web with no luck.

Thanks!!

[Leanne]

Both look great - thanks. I have one question though - in the brie recipe - there's a line that says "4, thinly sliced". What is that ingredient?

[pmmahan]

oops, sorry, that is garlic! (Although, i used the minced jarred kind, and used a bit less than recommended)

[Leanne]

Thanks - I'm sure I will use minced garlic too - but maybe more than it suggests - I love garlic!

[Jen]

I feel awful - I'm always nagging about this - but could someone possibly post the nutritional info for the stuffed chicken? Fat, calories, and fibre please! It sounds so delicious!

Thanks,
Jen

[Peggy]

Jen,

Here it is!

Brie-and-Caramelized Oinion Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Calories 216 (30% from fat); Fat 7.1gm, Protein 30.7gm, Carb 6.2gm, Fiber 0.8gm, Chol 80mg, Iron 1.7mg, Sodium 267mg, Calc 60mg

Artichoke-and Goat(or Feta) Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Calories 210 (24% from fat); Fat 5.5gm, Protein 30.5gm, Carb 8.3gm, Fiber 0.8gm, Chol 73mg, Iron 1.9mg, Sodium 442mg, Calc 20mg


pmmahan, I made the brie one awhile back and it was delicious. I did have a problem though, in keeping the brie and onions inside the chicken breasts while they were cooking. Have you found a way around this?

Peggy

[lorilei]

Peggy -
Have you tried securing the chicken breasts with toothpicks? They can easily be removed before serving the dish, and could help to prevent the filling from escaping http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[pmmahan]

good idea, lorilei! My first experiment with stuffed chicken was a disaster - I made the Gouda Stuffed Chicken with apples - the gouda would not stay in the chicken, I burnt the chicken in the pan....I just keep a close watch over the chicken while it cooks and kind of shove the stuffing back in with a spoon if it falls out-the stuffing in the Artichoke chicken seemed to do that more than the caramelized onion chicken.
But I like lorilei's idea better and will try that next time! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Peggy]

I did try the toothpick trick but still had trouble once the brie melted. In the finished product you still could taste the brie but most of it had melted out into the pan. A needle and a thread perhaps?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Peggy

[This message has been edited by Peggy (edited 01-11-2001).]

[Jen]

Thanks for the info Peggy!

[Leanne]

I finally made this recipe this weekend. We really liked it. I didn't seem to have a problem of the insides falling out - but I turned them very gently. I may not have used as much cheese as I was supposed to either.
Any recipe using vidallias &/or brie is good. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[sunberst]

yum, yum!

and i was very lazy while making this (okay, slightly buzzed from wine), so i did not measure any ingredients. i used the ingredients the recipe called for, i just guesstimated on how much of each.

i had no problem with the stuffing falling out. but i used perdue breasts, and those always seem to be thicker & meatier than the grocery store brand. i also used toothpicks just in case i had a problem.

i think this recipe is foolproof not only because i guessed on ingredient amounts, but i also forgot about the wine/broth mixture reducing and i let it cook away on the stove until it was reduced to almost nothing! definately not the 3/4 cup i was suppose to have left. so i just added the chicken back to the pan and rolled it around in whatever "sauce" was left then served it. so the end result didnt have the appropriate sauce that i anticipated, but tasted excellent regardless! very flavorful! i am sure it would be even better with the sauce that i was suppose to end up with. i will pay closer attention next time!

[TLee4]

Thanks for pulling this thread up! I just caramelized a bunch of onions in the crockpot (boy, does my house stink!) to put in the Caramelized-Onion, Spinach, and Bacon Quiche I'm making tonight. Now I know what to do with the extra onions!

[valchemist]

I put this recipe on my top ten list from the past year. (it is an older recipe, but the first time I tried it was last year and it was one of our ten most favorite recipes of the year.)

[cminmd]

I copied the recipe from the board into my MC 6.2, gave it 4 servings total and came up with nutrional info of this.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 369 Calories; 19g Fat (49.6% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 107mg Cholesterol; 264mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat. That works out to 9 ww's points per serving. I picked 4 servings because each person would get one breast. That is quite a big jump. I wonder what the difference is?

[valchemist]

this is what I got from mastercook. (see nutritional stats at bottom)


* Exported from MasterCook *

Brie-and-Caramelized Onion-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish May '97
Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 teaspoon olive oil -- divided
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
4 garlic cloves -- thinly sliced
2/3 cup dry white wine -- divided
2 ounces Brie or Camembert cheese -- rind removed and cut into small pieces (about 2 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
OR
3/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
Sage sprigs (optional)

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion; sauté 30 minutes or until golden brown. Add sliced garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup wine; cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon onion mixture into a bowl; let cool. Stir in Brie, salt, and pepper.

Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the onion mixture into each pocket.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

Add 1/3 cup wine, minced onion, sage, and minced garlic to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil, and cook 7 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce with chicken. Garnish with fresh sage, if desired.

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast half and 3 tablespoons sauce

Source:
"Cooking Light, May 1997, p.126"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"


Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 243 Calories; 7g Fat (29.1% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 246mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

[Kuvy]

TLee4 - do you have a tip for caramelizing onions in the crockpot? I've not heard of that before and it sounds fun.
:)

[Loremma]

That recipe sounds so good. I'll be making that as soon as I go grocery shopping. Thanks for the recipe!

[Karen in VA]

Yumm, this sounds so good. I wasnt a CL reader in '97, and hadn't seen it mentioned on the board before, so I'm glad to find out about it. Can't wait to try it!

[TLee4]

Originally posted by Kuvy
TLee4 - do you have a tip for caramelizing onions in the crockpot? I've not heard of that before and it sounds fun.
:)

Sorry I didn't see your question earlier. I got the tip off of this BB. I just sliced about 4 big onions, drizzled them with a little olive oil, and put the crockpot on high for about 4-5 hours. I stirred them a couple of times. They came out great.

Terri

[Alaina76]

YUM!! This was soooo good - definetly the best chicken I've had. I had a difficult time splitting the chicken breast (it was not pretty), but it didn't matter - I didn't have a problem with the stuffing coming out. It was a bit time consuming but very much worth it! Very flavorful - especially the sauce!

[Carpathia]

hi all!

this recipe looks delicious! about the stuffing falling out, do you think that baking the chicken is an easy alternative o cooking it in the pan? i haven't tried it, but it seems like that would stop the stuffing from getting all over the pan. i'm not sure if it would taste different though... however, one nice thing would be that while the chicken is baking you can prepare the sauce on the stovetop and then add the chicken to the pan when it's ready...

[brykate]

I think this is what I'll make for sweetie and I on Valentine's :) Sounds very very yummy.
Sunberst - you crack me up :p But that's encouraging the recipe is somewhat.... uh, lazyproof. (couldn't say "foolproof" - I don't want to offend you :D )

I wondered about baking it too. Maybe that would heat up the inside too much and make the cheese melty and oozie though. Whereas the skillet heats from the outside surface in more gradually. Just a thought....

Carpathia - welcome to the board!

~katie

[TLee4]

I just stuck toothpicks in them,and turned them carefully in the pan. I did not have a problem with "leakage".

Terri

[keg64]

I did have problems with the stuffing coming out too, but I knew at the time that I stuffed them too full! I even tried this new method that I saw on ETV...pound the chicken on plastic wrap, add the filling, then use the wrap to roll the chicken into a tube (being sure to let the chicken edge touch chicken versus filling at the end), tie the ends of the wrap, refrigerate a bit to let set, then cut the ends off the wrap to remove, and then cook.

Don't know if this makes sense, but worked great on tv (!) and I will try again.

We actually prefer the artichoke recipe to the brie recipe. For the latter, next time I may just pan fry the chicken and make the filling just as a sauce as the flavors were really good.

[kristalsnow7]

Delicious! I've been wanting to make this for so long---and I looked in my fridge last week and I had all the ingredients. Yay! I didn't think it was that difficult---while the onions were caramelizing I worked on some other things. It turned out perfectly---the stuffing didn't fall out, the chicken was tender, the sauce was flavorful. A success. I just adored the filling---what could be better than caramelized onions and brie? :D