I am working on growing an herb garden in our new house, but birds keep eating my herb sprouts. I put out a bird feeder, so hopefully that will deter them. Along with fresh cilantro and chives, I am really looking forward to fresh basil! I love making pesto and I enjoy eating it even more. This week I was craving some pesto goodness so I decided to pick some up and use it for a stuffed chicken recipe (and maybe a quiche recipe too).

I haven’t made stuffed chicken in a while, and it did not disappoint! This pesto and cheese and spinach stuffed chicken is a yummy and rich meal. Whoever said you can’t eat delicious food while still eating healthy doesn’t know what they are talking about! My husband was happy that it was grain-free and had goat cheese, and I was happy merely because it had pesto.  It may seem like too much work, but it’s all in the preparation. After you put it together, you can stick it in the oven and forget about it for a while!

I paired the chicken with a garlic asparagus side, recipe below as well.

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breasts, flattened
• 1/2 cup pesto, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 10 ounces goat cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

• Mix 1/4 cup pesto, garlic cloves, spinach, and goat cheese together in bowl.
• Spoon cheese mixture onto chicken breast, and roll chicken breasts up, securing with a toothpick if needed
• Save leftover cheese mixture for an egg recipe for later this week (if you have any leftover!)
• Place chicken onto baking sheet and generously brush the remaining pesto over the top, then sprinkle with garlic powder
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through

Garlic Asparagus

• 1-2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds
• 1-2 carrots, thinly diced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat frying pan on medium heat and add butter
• Saute asparagus, carrots, garlic, and seasonings until asparagus is crisp tender