Mushroom and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

sometimes i have a great recipe. the inspiration comes out of nowhere but it ends up all coming together perfectly. today, i think all of my creativity went to the recipe and now i am left with zero imagination for the recipe introduction. so i will leave you with this:

stuffing a chicken breast with cheese and other goodies may be one of the best ideas ever. who should i formally thank for this concept? monsieur cordon? madame bleu? one thing is for sure, the possibilities are endless. if you can think it up, you can probably roll it into a flattened out chicken breast.

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Mushroom and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
makes 6 servings

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
4 oz baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

finely chop mushrooms or pulse in a food processor until minced. chop artichoke hearts. combine artichokes, mushrooms, 1/4 cup asiago cheese, pesto, and garlic.

spoon 2-3 tbs of artichoke mixture onto thin chicken breasts. roll up tightly and secure with 2-3 toothpicks. repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

place on foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle rolled-up chicken with salt and pepper. top with remaining 1/4 of cheese and bake 20-30 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.