Sometimes the best laid plans never go as planned. I found a great recipe I wanted to try. It was a tasty chicken dish stuffed with asparagus and provolone. Sounded so yummy when I read the recipe. (I typed out the recipe at the bottom.)

Just to give everyone a head’s up. I call chicken breasts, ‘chicken boobies,’ and I call chicken tenderloins, ‘chicken toes’. Try to keep up. 🙂

Here I am getting prepared and being proactive. I transferred my chicken boobies out of the deep freeze on Thursday to the refrigerator in preparation to cook today.

Today I pulled everything out of the fridge to start cooking. Oven is preheated to 350 F. My favorite cast iron skillet is heating up on the stove to sear the chicken before baking the finishing touches. You MUST make sure you are using an oven-safe skillet. This is a fantabulous one skillet meal.

Well…crapola. When I opened my Ziplock bag, I realized I pulled out chicken toes to thaw instead of chicken boobies. There is definitely no stuffing these tiny cutlets. Sigh. I think I can still make it work.

I seasoned both sides of my chicken toes with pepper and smoked paprika. I seriously love smoked paprika. I think I use it on just about everything I cook. Remember there is NO stuffing these boogers. I neatly place all my chicken toes in the skillet to sear both sides to take away the pink. I love the sizzling sound.

(If you were using real chicken boobies, you would have cut a slit in the booby without cutting all the way through and creating a pocket. You would lay a slice of provolone cheese and three asparagus stalks in each booby. Secure with toothpicks. Then sear both sides in an oven-safe skillet)

I layered a pretty circle of provolone cheese and lay my asparagus stalks on top. I sprinkle a dab more black pepper and smoked paprika on top. I place in oven for about 30 minutes.

You must make sure you cook your chicken all the way through. Let’s not risk any salmonella poison. If you make someone sick from your cooking, they may never trust another meal from you again. Tasting a meal the second time coming up just doesn’t fair as well as it did going down the first time. Just sayin’. If you’re a thermometer nerd, the chicken is safe to eat at 165 F. If you judge by juices, they should be clear, no pinkety pink juices flowing, folks.

If you used chicken boobies, as I had originally planned, don’t forget to remove the toothpicks for serving. That may hurt a bit trying to swallow. 😉

When the chicken is ready, the provolone will have a beautiful bubbly melting sensation to it. Dish it out and serve up that tasty dish. If you have a great dinner partner, as I do, they will ask for seconds. My hunka hunka makes this girl feel like a great cook when he asks for seconds. Trust me…he’s not humoring me or trying to build my ego. If there is something he doesn’t like, he’s lets me know. My heart only sheds a tiny tear inside. haha. Just kidding…I need the honesty to know what NOT to cook a second time around.

Easy one pot skillet meal. Even though I had to do some quick thinking with my chicken to alternate the cooking techniques, the taste was still the same. YUMMO!

I finished the evening by seasoning and treating my lovely skillet. If you do not have an iron skillet, you are missing out. I was raised to cook with an iron skillet and cannot imagine my life without one. My mom was the cook and my dad was the dishwasher. Moma taught me how to cook and use this from stove top to oven. My daddy taught me how to clean, season, and treat it to make it last forever.

Peace out, Trout!

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Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2-3 thick chicken breasts

1 tbsp. olive

1 bunch asparagus

2-3 sliced provolone cheese

Smoked paprika

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.   Slice chicken to create pocket.  Add a slice of provolone cheese and 3 asparagus stalks.  Secure with toothpick.

Sprinkle both sides with black pepper and smoked paprika.  

In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil and sear both sides of chicken on stove top.  Place in oven for ~25-30 minutes, or until reaches 165F.  Remove toothpicks.

Serve immediately