Pequillo Chicken

After a long weekend of cooking, setting the table, and cleaning I took a couple days away from my kitchen.  Tonight though on my way home I felt inspired to make something for dinner.  I remembered I had some pequillo peppers left from making a salad over the weekend.  I buy pequillo peppers roasted and canned at the grocery store.  They are one of my winter pantry items to substitute for red bell peppers.  They also happen to be sweeter and cheaper than roasted red bell peppers.  Love them!  Tonight they became the base for my stuffed chicken breasts.  This was a good weeknight dish which was also quick to prepare.  Next time I will either cook the chicken in tomato sauce and marinate it overnight, it needed a little more flavor.

Pequillo Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded

6 roasted pequillo peppers

1/4 of small red onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 TBS of fresh thyme leaves

1 TBS of olive oil

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs

3 slices of tomato

cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 400degrees.  After pounding the chicken, create a pocket in each breast to hold about 1/4 cup.  Combine peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mini-prep food processor.  Pulse until the consistency is smooth and even.  Place mixture in a small bowl, add bread crumbs, and combine well.  Place about 1/4 cup of pepper mixture into each chicken breast.  Top each with salt, pepper, and a slice of tomato.  Bake for 30-40 minutes on a sheet pan and add a small amount of cheese over the top a few minutes before pulling the chicken from the oven.  Enjoy!