Well, this post was a long time coming. 

I only ate this dinner, what.. two weeks ago? Oops.

Nevertheless, it’s here now! You can make it for dinner tonight, how about that?

Chicken rollatine is a classic Italian dish, and one that I’ve loved since I was a little girl. You guys know this dish, even though you may not recognize its name. This recipe it nothing more than chicken breast STUFFED with goodness  {artichoke hearts, Italian ham, and mozzarella cheese}, and cloaked in Italian breadcrumbs. And one that I thought was insanely difficult to actually make outside of a restaurant or my great grandma’s kitchen.  

Newsflash – it’s not tough to make! Not at all! Cross my heart.

This is not a traditional Italian rollatine, however, since the original would have warm cheese oozing from the center and be covered in crunchy breadcrumbs, but hey! I’m still in the midst of my 30-day Paleo challenge. Hopefully grandma will forgive me.

Honestly, this made for one of my very favorite leftovers/next day lunches so far this year (and the chili definitely takes second place!). The tweaks to make it Paleo didn’t hurt the flavor, and slow-cooking it in a 200 degree oven just like grandma used to helps seal in the juicy flavor.

Like most things in life, a good recipe is always worth the wait, even for insanely impatient people like myself.

Which reminds me………. no more crutches!! My foot doctor almost laughed himself out of the exam room after listening to my montage of questions right after he gave me the green light to bear weight on my foot (“So can I do yoga now?” “When can I run?” “How long of a walk is too long?”"Why do I have to wait 5 weeks to take off this ugly walking boot?”…etc.)

SO, let’s all work on our patience! Or don’t………and make this recipe. I’ll just sit here and think about running.

–

Chicken Rollatine

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, raw
• 6 ounces artichoke hearts [not packed in oil], lightly steamed and sliced (Note: you can use fresh or frozen artichoke hearts, but be sure to thaw the latter prior to steaming)
• 8 slices Italian prosciutto, thinly sliced
• salt + pepper, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• dried parsely, to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. On a cutting board, slice one chicken breast long ways to form two cutlets; repeat for each breast.

2. Lay the cutlets on cutting board and place a slice of prosciutto on each one. Cover prosciutto layer with artichoke hearts to make a thin top layer. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on artichoke layer, seasoning to taste.

3. Roll each cutlet into a log and secure with two toothpicks (you should be able to see prosciutto and artichoke hearts squished in the middle between the chicken). Sprinkle each chicken “roll” with more salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley.

4. Place on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick spray or olive oil, and cover with tinfoil. Bake for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked all the way through, removing foil in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Serves 4

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