This chicken breast recipe, Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken, is a favorite fall dinner! Perfect for Sunday supper or an elegant dinner party with friends!
Grab the recipe for Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy below or PIN IT for later!
There are so many things that go into running a food blog. Coming up with recipe ideas, testing the recipes, testing the recipes again (and again, and…!), photographing the recipes, editing the photos, writing the blog post, sharing on social media, responding to comments and emails, researching key words and phrases to have the recipe rank on search engines, maintaining and updating the website, small business stuff (like taxes, networking, legal stuff) and all the other “stuff” like grocery shopping and ALL those dishes.
At any given moment, depending on how things are going, I have a love/hate relationship with each of these tasks. When I think up a recipe and it turns out exactly as I image, then that is a day that I love! But when I think of an idea and I test it and it fails (and sometimes fails several times before I get it right), well that can be frustrating, especially how expensive food is.
And some days, I don’t mind the behind the scenes work, like updating blog posts and website maintenance, since usually when I work on these things I like to have a TV show or movie on in the background. But most of the time, I’d rather be in the kitchen cooking than sitting behind a computer screen.
And the photography? Well, even after all these years of blogging, this is a skill that I’m still working on. Some days I love styling the food and taking photos, and I get so proud of myself and the photos I take. However, to be honest, a lot of times my photos aren’t up to my standards and I fall victim to the comparison game, trying to perfect my photos to look like those in magazines and on other blogs.
Because of this, I’ll make a recipe over and over again to not only test it and because we LOVE it, but because I am trying to get that “perfect” shot. This recipe for Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy is a prime example of this. We LOVE this recipe and my husband requests it all fall long! It has been a tried and true favorite chicken dinner for YEARS and I can’t tell you how many times we’ve made it.
I’ve also lost track of how many times I’ve attempted to photograph this recipe and have ended up with photos I can’t stand. Thank goodness I finally have photos I like (unfortunately not love, as there are still things I would change), because I can’t let another year go by without sharing this recipe!
If you are like us, chicken is a weekly dinner staple. In fact, we probably eat chicken two to three times a week (I literally just paused to go pull some out of the freezer for dinner tomorrow); and so I’m always looking for new chicken recipes. AND, when I find a recipe that is so good we can eat it a couple a times a month, well that DEMANDS to be shared with the world!
This stuffed chicken recipe may seem intimidating and time consuming, however, really, it’s not. I mean, obviously, this isn’t a 30-minute meal, but this isn’t something that will require all day in the kitchen or a ton of extra dishes. This Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken breast recipe is great for Sunday supper or when hosting dinner for friends – a no-fail winner, winner chicken dinner!
Be sure to check out my helpful cooking tips and grab the recipe below!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast with Apple Cider Gravy cooking tips and substitutions:
I use toothpicks to help seal the opening of the chicken breast to help prevent the filling from spilling out. Just remember to remove the toothpicks before serving.
Cheddar and apples are a popular recipe pairing; however, you could substitute Gouda or Gruyere cheese.
Ingredients in Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken:
- Chicken breasts
- Granny Smith or Fuji apple
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dried sage, oregano and thyme
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Grape seed, coconut or canola oil
How to make Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast:
- Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket horizontally into each chicken breast.
- In a bowl, mix together cheese, apples, lemon juice, dried sage, oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.
- Spoon approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the apple mixture into the pocket cut into the chicken breast.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear each stuffed chicken breast for 3 minutes per side; then transfer to a baking sheet and finish baking in the oven at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken dinner serving suggestions:
I usually keep the side dishes simple for this dinner and serve this stuffed chicken breast with brown rice or a wild rice medley and some steamed broccoli. But, it would also be good with Buttery Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Braised Peas and Onions or this Pear and Pomegranate Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is another favorite fall recipe that would go well with this stuffed chicken recipe.
If you like this recipe for Cheddar and Apple Stuffed Chicken with Dijon Pan Gravy then you have to check out these other chicken breast recipes:
Chicken Florentine Crepes
Crispy Tortilla Crusted Chicken
Lightened Up Baked Chicken Parmesan
Fall Cobb Salad with Pumpkin Butter Vinaigrette
Coconut Curry Chicken Tacos
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 medium Granny Smith or Fuji apple, peeled and diced small
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper, divided
- 4-8 to othpicks
- 1 tablespoon grape seed, coconut or canola oil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket horizontally into each chicken breast, making sure not to cut all the way through. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together cheese, diced apples, lemon juice, dried sage, oregano, thyme and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Spoon approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the apple mixture into the pocket cut into each chicken breast. Use 1-2 toothpicks to secure opening in chicken.*
- Season chicken generously with remaining salt and black pepper. Set aside and repeat stuffing process with remaining chicken breasts and filling.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place two stuffed chicken breasts into the hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs or a spatula, carefully flip chicken over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown. Transfer pan seared chicken to prepared baking sheet. Repeat searing process with remaining chicken.
- Once all chicken has been seared on both sides, bake in preheated 375-degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, add butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Once butter is melted whisk in flour, whisking constantly until a thick, golden roux is formed, about 2-3 minutes. Whisking constantly, whisk in chicken broth and apple juice. Cook, stirring occasionally until sauce has reduced, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Serve cheddar and apple stuffed chicken with Dijon pan gravy.
Thank you so much for the recipe, the bacon turned out to be very tasty, my husband really loves chicken, so I’m always glad to find a new creative recipe for him.