Tag Archives: Cheese

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken

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I will be honest – I am a bad Southerner.

I was born, raised and reside in the South and yet I do not like sweet tea. I like wearing jeans and a t-shirt to sporting events. I’m not a fan of bourbon/whiskey concoctions. And up until about a month ago, I had never tasted pimento cheese.

Now, for my friends up north, out west, and well, anywhere you don’t say “y’all” – pimento cheese is a big Southern thing. Pimento cheese sandwiches (white bread slathered with the stuff – crusts cut off of course, if you’re being proper) are a staple. They serve them every year in Augusta, GA at The Masters. Basically, it’s a mixture of cheese, mayonnaise and pimentos (aka the sweet red bits of pepper found inside of a green olive). And maybe some seasoning. Grocery stores sell tubs of it – but it always just looks like orange nastiness to me. Yes, that is a technical term thankyouverymuch.

I think I never got over the mayonnaise thing – always kind of grossed me out. Like, just cheese and mayonnaise? Ew. (I am like a 6-year-old – I have to disguise mayonnaise in recipes so I can’t tell it’s in there.) But perusing my cooking magazines, there was a special section on pimento cheese and different variations. With bacon or jalapeno or roasted garlic. Hm, maybe I could handle this – I mean, minus the mayonnaise, these were all things I liked! Then I recalled, the husband ate a pimento cheese burger at a bar we went to and loved it. So really, how bad could it be?

Ummm, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, it’s amazing and I’m already coming up with other ways I can use it. But for starters…it’s delicious all wrapped up and baked inside of a chicken breast.

Oh, and the best part about this bad Southerners’ pimento cheese? It’s healthy!

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken (serves 4)

Let's pretend you see a lemon in here too...

Lightened Up Pimento Cheese

3/4 cup shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. onion, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp. pimento, minced

1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 slice turkey bacon

In a medium bowl, add cheese, minced onion, minced pimento, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce and salt. Cook your turkey bacon and crumble and add to the mixture.

Using a fork and some serious elbow grease, mash everything together. You want to break the cheese into small pieces – until it’s a “spreadable” consistency. I’ve been meaning to try this out in a food processor, but I hate cleaning it – so I’ll stick to the lazy approach!

Refrigerate until ready to use…oh look, you’re ready!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 (4 – 5oz.) chicken breasts (I get the thin ones)

Seasonings – I use salt, pepper and smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine!)

About 20 toothpicks

Pimento cheese (recipe above)

Preheat your oven to 375.

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper with at least 2 inches between. Using a meat mallet, take out any aggression you may have on the chicken breasts and pound until about 1/4 inch thick (maybe less – I didn’t measure).

Season both sides of chicken with a little salt, pepper and paprika. Now scoop about 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp. of your pimento cheese in the middle of each breast, leaving some space on the sides.

This is where I must apologize that it stops looking “pretty”…it is a skill I need to master, but right now, you’ll just have to trust me that it tastes better than it looks!

Fold the tips of the chicken to the center and secure with a toothpick. Now fold up the sides, creating a sealed pocket with the chicken. I use about 4 toothpicks per breast…sometimes 6 for the really stubborn ones. The cheese is going to heat up and melt, so you don’t want it spilling out everywhere!

(But it’s okay if some does – because burnt cheese is delicious in my humble opinion.)

Transfer chicken to a lightly greased baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned. I know you want to dive right in – but remember to take the toothpicks out before you do.

Now wash it down with some sweet tea if you’re into that kind of thing. I chose wine.

Pimento Cheese Chicken, Baked Chili Fries and Green Bean Casserole - WW Points = 10!

I will keep you posted on what other delicacies I pimentocheesify – my first experiment was a stuffed turkey burger AND cheese fries…

Y’all come back now, ya hear?

(Dang, if only I liked sweet tea…)

Georgia Baked Chicken

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I promise chicken is not the only thing we eat. But to be honest – we do love chicken, because it’s so versatile! I mean check out what I’ve shown you so far – we’ve made it into a hot wing inspired soup, put together a delicious Italian dish, made a Chinese meal to die for, and even rolled it into a Stromboli.

And people say chicken is boring…psh, that’s just crazy talk!

This particular recipe is the most requested chicken dish in my household (read: the husband’s absolute favorite) and with good reason, it’s amazing! I’ve been making this one for quite a while, like since I used to make “family dinners” for my roommates in college. Which reminds me of when my friend tried mashed potatoes for the first time. I know, 21 years and no mashed potatoes? Craziness. Her verdict? “Tastes like the inside of a french fry.”

So scrounge up the like, 5 ingredients it takes to make this (do we really count salt and pepper?) and…make it!

Georgia Baked Chicken (serves 2)

8 oz. chicken breast

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, reduced fat

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Butter spray

Preheat oven to 350.

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together corn flake crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, salt and pepper.

I think I could just eat this with a spoon...

Spray both sides of the chicken with butter.

Now press the chicken into the crumb mixture, coating it evenly on all sides. Repeat with both pieces of chicken.

Place chicken in a lightly greased casserole dish (I top each breast with a little more crumb mixture if you have it), give it another spray or two of butter and cover with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. (I use the skinny cuts of chicken – so if you use the thick pieces, add more time).

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and parmesan green beans, but the other night I threw it together with salt and vinegar kale chips and sautéed squash. Like I said earlier – versatile! (Oh, not to mention it’s only about 6 points!)

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Parmesan Green Bean Casserole

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Let’s face it folks…sometimes you just don’t have fresh, crisp veggies to pair with your meals. You may think you have veggies in your “crisper” drawer…only you find that they aren’t magic vegetables that have survived 3 weeks in said drawer.

I know, sad face.

Personally, I really enjoy canned french cut green beans. I like them with just a little spray butter, salt and pepper. I like them with crispy onion straws on top.

But my favorite? Sorry (again) to my sister…is with cheese. Duh.

What’s great about this recipe is that it is so easy to throw together and serve it up immediately or you can stick it in the oven if the whole meal timing thing isn’t your forte. It’s also delicious, but I hope you know I’m not going to share a recipe with you that I find repulsive.

So here’s the starting line-up:

Parmesan Green Bean Casserole (for 2)

8 oz. can french cut green beans (it’s the adorable can)

2 oz. fat-free cream cheese

3 Tbsp. skim milk

2 Tbsp. grated reduced fat parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. garlic salt

1/8 tsp. salt

Add green beans to a small bowl and cook for about 1 minute in the microwave. Drain liquid and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and cream cheese over medium-low heat. When cream cheese has softened, add Parmesan cheese, salt and garlic salt. Whisk until smooth.

I love my tiny little whisk!

Add the green beans to the cheese mixture and stir until everything is incorporated. Serve immediately or add to casserole dish and transfer to oven.

I had this alongside my Chicken Parmesan paired with some whole wheat spaghetti…and a glass of wine, of course.

In the beginning…

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I honestly can’t even explain how excited I am to FINALLY be starting a blog! I am sure those of you reading it know me through my parents, sister or husband – so thank you for your support. I will try to keep your interest by posting new and delicious things!

So first off comes one of the first recipes I made when I started losing weight – Chicken Parmesan. It’s quick and easy and delicious – really, what’s not to like? (Also great with eggplant if you want a veggie version!)

Lightened Up Chicken Parm for 2

2 thin-cut chicken breasts (about 6 oz. total weight)

1 egg white, beaten with 1 tsp. water

1/8 cup plain bread crumbs

1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese, reduced fat

1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup “Light” spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Lite)

1 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (2% or fat free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In a large dish, mix together bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Mix until blended well.In a bowl, beat egg with water until combined.

Line up egg, crumb mixture and a lightly greased baking pan. Pat chicken breasts dry and dip in egg. Move chicken breast from egg to bread mixture – gently pressing the crumbs into the chicken on both sides. Then place in pan and repeat with remaining breast.

Bake chicken in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Lightly grease a baking dish and add sauce (I often add a little garlic salt and oregano to kick it up a notch). Place baked chicken breasts on top of the sauce and sprinkle each with  1/2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan and divide the shredded mozzarella between the two.

Return to the oven for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

I love serving this with a side of whole wheat spaghetti and my special green bean casserole – which I will post at a later date!

Hope you enjoy!