Spinach & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

I love boneless-skinless chicken breasts. LOVE THEM. When I first became interested in cooking, I made chicken pretty much every single night. My step-father used to say that if the man I married didn't like chicken, our marriage wouldn't last very long. My go-to chicken dinner is nothing fancy or complicated; just chicken seasoned with McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, and sauteed in a little olive oil. Simple & delicious.

But chicken is so versatile, that every once in a while I like to venture away from safe & easy and do something a little different. I found this recipe on Pinterest last week, and instantly knew it was going onto this weeks meal plan. Every component of this dish is something I absolutely love, and when you put it together it's a definite winner.

Spinach & Sun dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken with Buttered Pasta & Veggies
(Recipe adapted from this one.)

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts; flattened to 1/4"-1/8" thickness
• Sun dried tomatoes; drained & patted to rid of excess oil. (I used this brand) 
• 2 C. of baby spinach
• 8 T. of shredded mozzarella
• McCormick Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning (or whatever seasoning you like)
• 2 cups of egg noodles 
• 2 cloves of garlic; minced
• 2 zucchini; quartered & chopped
• 1/2 C. of cherry tomatoes; halved
• 8 oz. package of baby portabello mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 T. of butter
• 1/4 C. of grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 T. of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 4T. of olive oil; divided
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 toothpicks

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350* degrees
2. Heat a large skillet & 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. 
3. Prepare your chicken rolls: sprinkle with seasoning, place 7-8 spinach leaves on the chicken first, 2 T. of sun dried tomatoes, 2 T. of cheese. Roll tightly and secure with a toothpick. Place the chicken in the pan and sear about 1 minute on each side. Remove from pan and place in a baking dish and into the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions. 
5. Meanwhile, add the other two tablespoons of oil to the pan you started the chicken in, and add the zucchini & mushrooms. Saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and the tomatoes, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
6. Remove the chicken from the oven & let it rest for a few minutes. 
7. The pasta should be finished cooking by now. Drain, add the butter and half of the parsley and toss until butter is melted & all of the pasta is coated. Mix in the sauteed vegetables and toss to combine.
8. Place a scoop of the pasta/veggie mixture on a plate, slice the chicken and put it on top. 
9. Sprinkle with the reserved pasta and serve.  

Notes:

• Just so there is less pounding, I like to use the Tyson Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts. I actually use these for everything. Portion size in this country is out of control, and these are a more of an acceptable portion than a normal chicken breast. When I buy regular chicken breasts, I always have to halve them. They're perfect for this recipe though: very minimal effort to get them to the thickness I needed them to be.
• Sun dried tomatoes can be purchased in several different ways. I use the ones in oil, but they make dry ones that you reconstitute in water. I've never used those, so if you do, be sure to adjust your prep time accordingly. If you use the ones in oil, like I do, be sure to drain them REALLY well. I let them sit on about 4 layers of paper towels, and the towels were soaked through. I took another towel and patted them on the top as well.