Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Am I the only one who thinks that this is one of the best food-related ideas ever? All the deliciousness of a jalapeno popper wrapped up inside a breaded chicken breast? Genius!

This dinner definitely did not disappoint; Joe and I both thought this chicken was a winner. I ended up only using one jalapeno for the filling; I bought two, but as I was chopping the first one some of the juice splashed right up into my eye, and if you've ever had that happen to you you know how NOT FUN it is. I was pretty much done with chopping the jalapenos after that. So this was actually pretty mild, and I missed the extra spice that the second jalapeno would have added. The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I added some bacon to the filling as well, because I prefer my jalapeno poppers with a little bit of bacon. It was a delicious addition to this dish. Plus, I made Joe's potatoes on the side and fried them in the leftover bacon grease, which made them even more delicious. (Did I say this meal was healthy? No, no I did not.)

Regardless of how unhealthy it is, you should definitely try this chicken. It's incredibly, unbelievably good.

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
Source: adapted from Allrecipes

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
4 strips of bacon, diced
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs and seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

2. Stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos in a small bowl.

3. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast, and fill with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks.

4. Roll the chicken breasts in bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. If your chicken breasts are thick, like mine were, they can be finished in a 350-degree oven.