Chicken Artichoke with a toddler twist.

This recipe made me skeptical because I am not a fan of cooking mayonnaise but it turned out great. It's got a gourmet taste with minimal and economical ingredients. Prep time is short. Cooking time is short. Mess is nominal. I would make this on a weeknight when I need a quick meal.

The other big benefit is that it is easily adaptable to something my three year old will eat, and with veggies and protein. I just take the tenderloins from the chicken breasts and bake them along with the chicken. but remove them after five minutes when they ae cooked through but still soft. Then I chop them into almost invisible pieces, along with a couple of the artichoke hearts. and mix them in with the rice. TA DA! kid friendly adaptation. I add cheese cause Kader loves his cheesy rice.

Artichoke hearts can be spendy per ounce BUT i buy mine at Costco in a big jar, because there are so many uses. Plus Costco's  marinated hearts are super tasty compared to the ones more commonly found at grocery stores. At 10 dollars per giant jar its worth it. Other uses include artichoke dip, antipasto, pasta salad mix in, among others.

You may use boneless skinless breasts but I rarely do. They are too expensive, and usually have lots of additives and such. You can buy bone in breasts and easily remove the bones. do that by scoring the chicken along the breast bone and following the bone with your knife until you can grip the meat. then gently pull the meat away while making small cuts along the rib bone until it is removed. for this recipe, remove the tenderloin and use for the kiddos. I buy a whole chicken because they are the best bargain. I can use the breasts today, save the thighs for tomorrow or later in the week, and i throw the wings in a collective bad until I have enough for a BBQ. If I was as industrious as my sister I would also make stock from the bones but well.... I'm not. I will let her post that if she didn't already.

Here it is. dinner for 2 and a toddler.

2 Skin on chicken breasts. (boned)
1/2 cup Marinated Artichoke hearts, chopped small
1/8 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese.
salt and pepper

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Bone the chicken breasts, leaving skin intact. Lay the chicken flat and carefully slice parallel to the cutting board, until you ALMOST reach the other end. unfold like a book and season both sides. You should have one larger, very thin slice of chicken. Repeat with the other piece. (this is a basic method for butterflying meats and fish)

Mix the artichoke, cheese, and mayonnaise and place about two table spoons in the center of each piece. fold the chicken over on the filling, skin side up. place on an oven safe grill pan* (suggested) or a small casserole. loosen the skin and stuff the rest of the filling underneath, pressing down to distribute evenly. season the skin and bake for about 15 minutes. at 15 minutes raise heat to 425 and bake another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Serve over rice.


* The grill pan is ideal because the chicken releases fat which then evenly sears the bottom of the chicken while it bakes. a casserole may have a less crispy effect.