Smoked Gouda Stuffed Chicken with Apples

Chicken breasts are stuffed with cheese and served on an herbed cider reduction with tender apple slices. It doesn’t get any more autumnal than this.

Don’t let the title fool you. Even with stuffing the chicken, sauteing it, reducing the cider sauce and finishing the chicken, this is still a 20 minute dinner that will get rave reviews. Smoked Gouda adds a lot of flavor, but no worries, if you’re not a fan then substitute Havarti or really any cheese that you love. Some cheeses to consider:

Smooth and Melty Cheeses

The most cheeses fall into this category. They work for anything from stuffing things, toasted sandwiches, topping baked dishes and smoothly incorporate into polenta and risotto – Asiago, Fontina, Gruyere, Havarti, Jack, Muenster, Gouda, Brie (remove the rind), Blue

Stretchy Cheeses

Perfect for pizza and grilled cheese. It melts well but stays where you want it to. Mozzarella, provolone, oaxaca.

Non Melters

Feta, Chèvre, Ricotta, Cottage, Halloumi and other cheeses that you can grill, fresh Mexican cheeses like Queso Blanco

Parmegianno Reggiano’s super low moisture content means it doesn’t melt well on its own, but when grated finely and incorporated into risotto or polenta the extra moisture in the dish will help loosen it.

We are a big cheese family. I just looked and I am currently sporting eight cheeses in the fridge. Cheese has a relatively long life for a dairy product so it’s easy to keep on hand to spruce up a dish or for impromptu cheese and crackers cocktail hour. Once I made myself a lovely little plate with some crackers and a small log of chèvre. I set it down and went back to the kitchen to get a glass of wine. When I came back the whole log was gone. My five year old had simply picked it up and ate the whole thing in one go. Big fans. Huge. And yes, he’s on a fiber supplement.

Cream cheese is a great thing to keep on hand, especially at the holidays because it means you have an instant cheese ball. You can really combine all the cheeses you have on hand, limiting to one stinky, and have a great unique appetizer to serve. I’ll be including a more specific how to in my upcoming Instant Appetizers cookbook. If you’re not already on the list, be sure to signup so you don’t miss it. I only send these special editions out to subscribers.

But enough about cheese (is there really ever enough cheese?) and back to dinner. With cheese.

Want more cheesy goodness? Go straight to Mac and Cheeeeeeeese.

Smoked Gouda Stuffed Chicken with Apples

Chef Shelley

Be sure to use modest sized chicken breast or they will take forever to cook. Definitely nothing over 8 ounces. The smaller they are the quicker they cook and the faster you eat.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 4 chicken breasts
• 3 ounces smoked Gouda sliced into four pieces, or whatever cheese you like
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or minced rosemary
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 Granny Smith apples or whatever apple you like, cored and sliced thinly. I like the peel on, remove it if you prefer.

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a 12" skillet over medium high heat.
• Cut a horizontal slit to form a pocket in each chicken breast and insert a slice of cheese.
• Salt and pepper chicken then coat in flour.
• Saute on both sides until golden brown, then remove to a plate.
• Add garlic and herb to pan and saute 30 seconds. Add broth and cider and reduce by half, about 10 minutes.
• Add apples and chicken to pan and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about five minutes.