Chicken Rolls

I love chicken! It is like a perfect pair of shoes: you can dress it up - make a fancy appetizer for a festive dinner, or you can dress it down – make an effortless escalope with vegetables on the side for a quick lunch. It is perfect for any occasion imaginable. This is why it makes sense to buy chicken in bulk - you can make chicken soup from drumsticks, honey glazed thighs, spicy chicken wings and rolls with a filling from chicken breast.

These particular chicken rolls were inspired by warm and sunny Southern California weather:) They have just the right amount of cheese inside to make the chicken moist and not heavy. As for the sauce, it is quite simple and brings richness to the dish. 

Serve the rolls as a main course with a side of vegetables or pasta or make an easy and tasty appetizer for a party.

Ingredients:

Chicken Rolls:

1 chicken breast

2 slices of semi-soft cheese (e.g. Havarti, Gouda)

parsley, finely chopped

1 cup water/chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp cooking oil

salt

pepper

Sauce:

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

salt

pepper

Wash the chicken breast and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the breast in half and cut each half in 3 pieces. Cover the pieces with a plastic wrap and pound them with a flat side of a meat mallet until they are evenly thin. Season with salt and pepper.

Break each cheese slice in 6 pieces. Put 2-3 cheese pieces and a teaspoon of parsley on one side of a chicken breast and roll it up, so that the filling is inside. Secure the rolls with toothpicks or thread.

Heat the oil and the butter in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the rolls, turning them occasionally, until browned from all sides.

Pour water/chicken stock in a different frying pan (or clean the same one) and place the rolls in it. As soon as the liquid starts boiling, put the heat to a low and cover the pan. Let them simmer for 15 minutes.

Making the sauce:

Take ½ cup of liquid from the pan and add flour and sour cream. Blend the ingredients well. Add salt and pepper. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir for a couple of minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Take the rolls out from the pan and remove the toothpicks/thread.

Top the rolls with a sauce from the pan and serve.

  

Tips:

• Parsley can be substituted for basil for a bolder flavor

• Try experimenting with different sauces for these chicken rolls 

Enjoy!