Artichoke Lemon Pesto Stuffed Chicken Bundles

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the drained artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and olive oil. Pulse until rough chopped. Add the parsley and pulse until combined. Set aside.

Place a chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound until about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining breasts. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Combine the Artichoke Lemon Pesto with the cup of five cheese blend Italian cheese. Place about 1/3 cup in the middle of each breast and beginning at the point end, roll up the chicken, tucking the sides in and place seam side down on a baking sheet. You can secure them with a toothpick if desired. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt butter in a dish and place the panko breadcrumbs in another dish. Dip the bundled chicken breasts in the melted butter and then roll in the panko. Place the prepared chicken bundles in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and pour any remaining melted butter over the tops. I also give it a spray with my olive oil sprayer or you could use cooking spray so the breadcrumbs will brown nicely.

Cook in a 350 F over for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes if the breadcrumbs need to brown a little more. Then remove them from the oven and let them rest about 5 minutes before serving. If the chicken breasts are big, I will often slice them into rounds with a serrated knife and place on a serving tray.

Cook’s Note: If you have any pesto left, mix in a couple more tablespoons of olive oil and mix it with hot cooked pasta or use it to spread on crusty Italian bread. It is delicious!

If you don’t want to pound the chicken you can also cut a slit in the breast horizontally and stuff the pesto into the slit and secure with a toothpick.