Zucchini + Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
Summer months make me crave fresh produce like crazy. Maybe it’s the farmers markets popping up everywhere or the simple fact that I’m surrounded by beautiful greenery in every direction, but whatever it is, I’m so ready for it. Which brings me to this week’s recipe! I’ve been making these stuffed chicken cutlets for years now and they still constitute one of my favorite weeknight meals.
A few pounded cutlets, luscious zucchini and fresh mozzarella, a bright burst of lemon juice with earthy olive oil, and some toasty breadcrumbs with nutty Pecorino are all it takes to make the baked beauties pictured above. I find that the recipe actually makes more filling than I need for a weeknight meal, so I usually divide it in thirds and freeze the extra filling separately (something that makes this meal extra easy for a busy weeknight). They’re delicious served with rice and salad, and they make for great leftovers too. Biggest plus? My toddler loves them.
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Zucchini + Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
adapted from Skinny Taste
Ingredients for filling:
NOTE: {this makes enough for (3) three batches of chicken, (6) six cutlets per batch}
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium zucchini, grated
4 oz mozzarella, grated
¼ cup Pecorino Romano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
For chicken:
1 lb thin chicken cutlets, about six cutlets
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
¾ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup Pecorino Romano
1 cup filling (freeze the rest in separate containers for future meals)
salt
pepper
For the filling:
Heat olive oil in a medium pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
For chicken:
Meanwhile, pound chicken cutlets so they’re thin and uniform in thickness.
Whisk lemon and oil together in a small bowl. Mix breadcrumbs and cheese in a separate bowl. (This will be your dipping station!)
To stuff, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of all cutlets. Spread cutlets onto a large platter or cutting board so you have plenty of space to work. Lay the zucchini-mozzarella filling down the length of each cutlet, and finally roll cutlets lengthwise (no toothpicks required!). Dip cutlets in lemon-oil mixture, then dredge in the breadcrumb-cheese mixture. Place on each rollup onto a baking tray lined with silpats or greased with oil. Bake at 425° for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.
