Dried-Tomato-and-Kale-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Garlic Sauce

This dish is all about great flavor combination, and it doesn’t take many ingredients to get that tasty combo in every bite. The chicken breasts are stuffed with earthy, slightly bitter kale and sweet, caramelized dried tomatoes—easy to do right in your oven.

Simply slice the tomatoes about 1/10th-inch thick, spread on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet (they'll stick to foil!), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake in a 225° F oven for about an hour. (See the recipe at Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Pancetta and Mascarpone.)

The sauce is loaded with garlic and has a creamy texture without the heaviness of a thick, fatty concoction. It’s not gravy, just a light, but boldly flavored sauce made with garlic, flour, and chicken broth.

When you pound the chicken breasts to about 1/4-inch thickness, don’t worry if there are small tears in the flesh—it will all come together when cooked. Placing the stuffed breasts in the skillet seam-side down helps to “sew” them up, and finishing them in the oven makes the meat adhere to itself and keep the filling inside.

I served the stuffed chicken with simple roasted red potatoes (small chunks tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper roasted at 400° F for about 45 minutes), but sautéed mushrooms, pan-seared fennel, or steamed broccoli would be good side dishes as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 3 cups chopped kale
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to about 1/4-inch thickness
• 1 recipe oven-dried tomatoes 

Tomatoes Ready to Dry

Dried Tomatoes

Chopped Kale and Tomatoes to Stuff the Chicken

Pounded Chicken Breasts Ready to Stuff

For the Garlic Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 2 tbsp flour
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the Stuffed Chicken Breasts 

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Heat a heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until wilted and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl. Set the skillet aside.
3. Lay the chicken breasts on a work surface. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread 1/4 of the kale in a line about 1 inch from the edge of each breast. Top the kale with 1/4 of the dried tomatoes on each.
5. Beginning with the edge closest to the filling, tightly roll up each breast, tucking in any loose pieces.
6. Re-heat the skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the stuffed chicken breasts in the skillet seam-side down and cook 4 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook 3 minutes, pushing together any loose seams with spatula.
7. Turn the breasts back over to seam-side down and place the skillet in the oven. Roast 5 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Sauteed Kale

Chicken Breast Ready to Roll Up

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Ready to Cook

Stuffed Chicken Breasts after the First Turn

Cooked Stuffed Chicken Breasts

For the Garlic Sauce

1. Make the garlic sauce while the breasts cook. Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, cover, and cook slowly until softened and very fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 2-3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Slowly pour into the garlic mixture, season with salt and pepper, and whisk until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. (The sauce should be just thick enough to coat a spoon and have a creamy texture.)

Garlic Sauce

To serve, plate 1 stuffed chicken breast on each of 4 plates and spoon the garlic sauce on top. Serve your side dish next to the chicken and serve right away.