Description
This Garlic Butter Mushroom Stuffed Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts filled with a savory mixture of garlic, brown mushrooms, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. The chicken is seared to golden perfection on the stovetop, then oven-baked to juicy, cooked-through tenderness. Finished with a creamy, flavorful mushroom parmesan sauce, this dish is an elegant yet approachable meal perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Mushroom Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 1 pinch pepper, to taste
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 1 pinch salt, to season
- 1 pinch pepper, to season
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated
Cooking and Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, large, minced or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups half and half (or reduced fat cream or evaporated milk)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 1 pinch pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water (optional, for a thicker sauce)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) to prepare for finishing the chicken.
- Prepare Mushroom Filling: In a large oven-proof pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté about 1 minute until fragrant. Add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, cooking and stirring occasionally until mushrooms are soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Season Chicken: Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season all sides evenly with salt, pepper, onion powder, and dried parsley, rubbing the seasonings into the meat thoroughly.
- Create Chicken Pockets: Horizontally slice a pocket into the thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff each pocket with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, then divide the mushroom mixture evenly among breasts, filling pockets generously. Top the mushrooms inside each pocket with 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese. Seal openings using two or three toothpicks to secure filling.
- Sear Chicken: Reheat the same pan used for mushrooms over medium heat, adding olive oil if needed. Place stuffed chicken breasts in pan and sear until golden brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Cover the pan to prepare for oven cooking.
- Oven Cook: Transfer covered pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through with no pink inside, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Serve or Prepare Sauce: You can serve the chicken immediately with pan juices and mushrooms over pasta, rice, or vegetables, or prepare the optional cream sauce detailed next.
- Make Cream Sauce: Return pan (with pan juices) to stovetop over medium heat. Add remaining minced garlic and sauté about 1 minute until fragrant. Reduce heat to low and stir in Dijon mustard and half and half (or alternative cream). Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Add Mushrooms and Cheese: Stir in any leftover mushrooms and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Simmer gently until cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Adjust Thickness: If a thicker sauce is desired, quickly stir in the cornstarch-water mixture into the pan center and mix until the sauce thickens immediately.
- Season and Finish: Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in chopped fresh parsley, then return stuffed chicken breasts to the pan to coat them in sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
- Ensure chicken breasts are evenly sized for uniform cooking.
- Do not overstuff the chicken pockets to prevent tearing during cooking.
- Use toothpicks securely to hold the filling inside while searing and baking.
- Internal chicken temperature should reach 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
- Half and half can be substituted with reduced fat cream or evaporated milk for the sauce.
- Cornstarch slurry is optional; use it only if you prefer a thicker sauce.
- Serving suggestion: Serve stuffed chicken with pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables to complement the rich sauce.
