Opryland Stuffed Chicken
2 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (buy in a bag at the store)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
2 tsp. snipped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter; melted
1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
4 large, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
FOR STUFFING: In a large bowl, combine corn bread, pecans, green onion, cranberries, sage, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth (I use a little more broth than the recipe calls for) to moisten, tossing lightly.
Place each chicken breast half btw 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet and working form the center of the chicken to the edges, pound the meat to 1/4″ thickness. Remove the plastic wrap.
Place about 1/2 cup of the stuffing on each piece of chicken. Roll the chicken to completely enclose the stuffing. (secure with a toothpick or two) Place the chicken bundles in a baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon melted butter and the paprika. Brush the chicken breasts with mixture.
Bake the chicken, uncovered, in a 350* oven for 30 minutes or until tender and no longer pink.
FOR SAUCE: In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, thyme and rosemary. Add the remaining chicken broth all at once to the flour mixture in the saucepan. Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat until it is thick and bubbly. Cook and stir the sauce 1 minute. Season to taste (I usually add a couple tablespoons of milk at the very end)
TO SERVE: Transfer the chicken breasts to a warm serving platter. I like to cut each chicken breast in half (it looks so pretty with all the color!) and then drizzle the sauce on top.
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