Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts & Thighs

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 pound lump crabmeat
2 cups seasoned stuffing mix (stovetop stuffing)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 cup italian breadcrumbs
2 (7/8 ounce) envelope béarnaise sauce mix

Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add crabmeat, stuffing mix, eggs, seasoning, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix well.

Place chicken breasts & thighs on a piece of waxed paper. Flatten to 1/4 inch thickness.

Spread about 1/4 cup crabmeat mixture on each chicken breast/thigh. Roll up jellyroll fashion pressing edges to seal. Secure with toothpicks. Place seam side down in a greased 13x9 inch pan. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with generous amount of breadcrumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Temp chicken to 175 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare béarnaise sauce according to package directions – serve over chicken rolls.

Makes 10 servings (1 chicken breast or 2 chicken thighs)

Risotto in a Lemon Cup

Ingredients
3 cans chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons
2 large shallot, diced
16oz (1 box) orzo pasta
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup cream cheese
3/4 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 lemons, for serving

In a medium saucepan bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the orzo, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, cream cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper.

To serve, cut 1/4-inch off the bottom of each lemon so they stand on their own. Take 1-inch off the stem end. Using a grapefruit spoon scoop out the flesh of the lemon and discard. Fill each lemon with about 1/2 cup of risotto. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.

Serve immediately.

Fettucine Alfredo with Shrimp and Chicken

Ingredients

1 pound dried fettucine (or other favorite pasta)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1.5 cup half-and-half
1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets, steamed
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
1.5+ cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound prosciutto, diced, broiled until crisp
Fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Blanch shrimp. Bring a pot of water to a roaring boil. Turn off heat. Wait 1 minute. Immerse shrimp in water for exactly 60 seconds. Immediately run cold water over shrimp to stop them from cooking further. Set aside.

Cook the fettucine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Saute until tender. Add heavy cream and half-and-half. Bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese, adding more to taste.  Add salt/pepper. Remove from the heat.

Combine sauce with shrimp, chicken, and veggies.  Top with additional cheese, if desired.  Garnish with parsley and/or crispy prosciutto, if desired. Serve immediately.