Pesto Stuffed Chicken Thighs

    If you weren't aware chicken thighs are awesome! We eat them often they are my favorite probably because they are so moist no matter how you cook them. I have wanted to stuff chicken for a while now but could not think of what would be good to use. I finally realized it when I saw a recipe for pesto stuffed breast.

 I have also fallen in love with these pop and cook freezer sauces. I knew they would be perfect to use instead of buying everything to make fresh pesto.

These are also amazing of pasta and will be dinner tonight!

After they were stuffed I battered them with panko and baked them so they had an oven fried taste to them.  I served them up with some homemade french fries that Hubby has gotten very good at making, I will share them soon.  It was a great meal.

Start by laying your thighs flat, then pound them so that they are as flat as you can get them without holes.

 Then take the pesto mixture and smooth it out on top of it.

Roll the chicken thighs back together, trying to keep all the pesto inside it. If some falls out just push it back into the ends. Use tooth picks to secure it in.

Coat them in panko mixture. Be sure to push it into the meat to get it to stick well. I did a little spray of cooking oil on them to help them brown up more, not necessary though. 

Panko Mixed with Cheese

Bake for 30 minutes at 375F

Pesto Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless thighs

1 and ½ pesto Pop and Cook sticks

½ cup parmesan cheese (I use flakes)

½ cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup panko

Directions

1. Take your thighs and open them up so they are flat. Then take you hand, meat mallet, or what you use to flatten meat, and beat it until it is as flat as you can get it without making holes. This is more difficult with thighs then breast because they are different thickness to start and the muscles are built differently.
2. Melt your pesto sticks with a bit of olive oil for about 30 seconds and stir. Let it cool a bit and stir in your parmesan.
3. Spread the mixture over the two thighs in a thin layer. Try to keep it off the edge a little.
4. Roll up your thighs. If pesto comes out the sides try and push it back in some. Then use tooth picks to hold it together.
5. Take the flour and salt and pepper and spread it out on a plate.  Take the egg and add a bit of water and mix it up. Then take the panko and some more parmesan and mix on another plate.
6. Dip the chicken first in flour and coat well, gently shake off excess. Then dip it into the egg, let extra drip off. Then into the panko mixture, be sure to get an even coating, this is what gives it some crunchiness.
7. Place on parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F