Jitterbug Stuffed and Stewed Chicken

After a long weekend at home visiting the family and playing the tourist role in New Orleans, I felt it was only necessary to have some good friends over and cook a New Orleans inspired meal for the ever anticipated Saints game. Emeril makes a Jitterbug Stewed Chicken and I wanted to go a step above that so I decided to stuff the chicken breast with spinach and mushrooms before stewing them. It is a very filling and seemingly healthy way to do chicken in a different way.

Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Calls Home to Mom: 1 due to burning 4 outta 5 fingers on my right hand :-(

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Onion (Finely chopped)
• 1 Bell Pepper (Finely chopped)
• 2 Stalks of Celery
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/4 Cup EVOO
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 QT Chicken Stock
• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breats
• 1 Box Frozen Spinach
• 1 1/2 Cup Chopped White Mushrooms 
• 1/4 Cup Romano Cheese
• 1 TSP Butter

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the spinach according to package and drain using a dish towel until dry, transfer a pan and saute with mushrooms and garlic for about 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened. Add romano cheese, salt and pepper, and 1 Tsp Butter. Transfer to a mixing bowl and reserve for the stuffing.

Pound the chicken breast until about 1/4 inch thick, lay a spoonfull of above mixture down the middle and roll up securing with toothpicks. Salt and Pepper both sides of the Rollups. In a saute pan heat up the EVOO over Med-High heat and brown the chicken (3 minutes a side). Transfer to a plate and reduce heat on pan to medium.

In the same pan the chicken was browned in, add onions, bell peppers, celery and saute until the vegetables are transparant (about 5-6 Minutes). Add garlic and cook till fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Slowly add flour while constantly stirring forming a roux. Once thickened, slowly add the chicken stock. Bring sauce to a boil and stir (scraping the bottom to release the bits of chicken). Add the Chicken rollups and place in the oven for an additional 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked throughout (180 degrees)

TO SERVE:

We served a Chicken Rollup over cheese filled raviollis and poured the sauce over everything. It seemed like a goolosh but was delicious. We also had Garlic bread to help sop up the sauce.

You can serve it with rice or any of your favorite side items.

SOME HELPFUL TIPS:

• After the pot has been in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, the lid will be quite hot, so dont go grabbin it with bare fingers!!
• After burning your fingers, immediately grab ice cubes and keep covered!!