cream cheese and pesto stuffed chicken

i like to make chicken dishes like this. so i thought i would share this one. you can pretty much use any filling for chicken. enjoy. :Cool:



4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
1 egg white
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

cream cheese-pesto filling:
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

combine cream cheese, pesto and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.

cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half,
nearly through to the opposite side. open up each breast and place
one-fourth of the filling in the center. close the breast over the filling,
pressing the edges firmly together to seal. repeat with the remaining
chicken breasts and filling.

lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. place breadcrumbs
in a shallow glass dish. hold each chicken breast half together and dip
in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs.

heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. add chicken
breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. place the
chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. bake until
the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read
thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.