Bacon Wrapped Potato Stuffed Chicken
This post is sponsored by Read Salads, all opinions are my own.
Delicious chicken breast stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese, sliced potatoes in a sweet dressing, and wrapped in bacon, then baked to juicy perfection.
This simple 4 ingredient dinner is the perfect solution for a school night dinner or a busy weeknight meal. It is quick and easy to put together, has hands off cooking time, and is so yummy. With bacon, cheddar cheese, and tender potatoes, the whole family will approve. Serve it alongside Best Ever Roasted Broccoli or a green salad for a complete meal.
During the crazy back to school season, of new routines, practices starting back up, running kids here and there, helping with homework, and doing the dreaded 30 minutes of reading, dinner is often easy to overlook. Or it feels like a huge chore. This Bacon Wrapped Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chicken is priceless for this season. It is easy. Doesn’t take a lot of hands on time. And it is only 4 ingredients. But doesn’t sacrifice any flavor.
This recipe is one of my favorite recipes for stuffed chicken because…
- It is bursting with bold flavors. Bacon and cheese are a classic combination, but pair that with READ German Potato Salad, and it is like a whole new world of flavor. READ® Salads are the perfect ingredient for a fast, delicious and nutritious family meal like this stuffed chicken. This potato salad is comprised of thinly sliced potatoes in a sweet piquant dressing. The tender, sweet potatoes are the perfect stuffing for chicken breasts. It adds fun flavor, keeps the work low, and pairs beautifully with the bacon and cheese.
- It is only 4 ingredients. Does it get any easier? I think not. Because the potatoes are already cooked, thinly sliced, and seasoned with that sweet piquant dressing and bacon, your work load is cut in half. No real seasoning required, but you still get all the flavor, with far fewer ingredients. When nights are hectic, only having to deal with 4 ingredients is a win.
- Hands off cooking. This is the type of recipe that is so simple, you just spend a few minutes prepping it, and the oven takes care of the rest. There is no peeling, slicing, chopping, required. So it really is very simple.
What You Need to Make Stuffed Chicken
During back to school season, I like to keep the focus on eazy peazy, and this recipe is just that with just 4 simple ingredients, all of which are easy to find:
- Chicken Breasts: I chose a 1 lb package that included two larger chicken breasts, then just cut them in half to serve them, but you can also pick a package of 4 smaller (4-6 ounces) breasts.
- READ German Potato Salad: This is a canned potato salad that is thinly sliced potatoes in a sweet piquant dressing. It has bits of bacon, sweetness, and some onion and parsley. It is easy to use, as you can just open the can, and it adds great flavor to the dish as a whole. Not to mention makes a complete meal easy, as the starch is already incorporated in the main dish! READ® Salads has been a pantry staple for generations, featuring tasty, convenient and versatile ready-to-eat products packaged in cans or cups —3 Bean Salad, and 4 Bean Salad and German Potato Salad. The German Potato Salad is perfect for this recipe.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices: The sharp cheddar pairs well with the sweet dressing on the potatoes, and the saltiness of the bacon. It melts beautifully, and makes this dish so yummy and fun.
- Thinly Sliced Bacon: The thinner sliced bacon is best for this recipe as it will crisp up in the oven, and not require you to overcook the chicken to get it crispy. Select whatever kind you like best.
Recommended Equipment
- Can Opener
- Sharp Knife
- Baking Dish
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Making this stuffed chicken, is very simple, here’s how:
Step One: Cut a Pocket into the Chicken
In order to stuff the chicken, you have to cut a pocket into it, and you do this with a sharp knife. Simply press on the top of the breast with your hand, and slice, being careful not to slice all the way through.
Step Two: Stuff the Chicken
Next, you stuff the chicken with the cheese and the READ German Potato Salad.
READ® Salads provide important nutrients including dietary fiber, folate, potassium, iron, plant-based protein and more. All are shelf-stable and gluten free. The German Potato Salad is the perfect addition to this chicken as it offers flavor and more with the ease and convenience of simply having to open a can.
Step Three: Wrap Chicken
Once it has been stuffed, you fold the chicken back over, making sure everything is inside the chicken, season it with a little pepper, then wrap it in strips of thinly sliced bacon.
Step Four: Bake
Once your chicken is stuffed and wrapped, you bake it at 400 degrees F, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. This is about 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast.
Step Five: Enjoy!
Let the chicken rest a few minutes to help it stay nice and juicy, then cut and serve. Serve with your favorite vegetable side for a totally delicious meal.
Tips and Tricks
Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy…but here are a few tips and tricks to insure perfect results every time.
- Wrap Tight: Sometimes the cheese oozes out of the chicken, and that isn’t fun because you want your chicken to be stuffed. But it is cheese, and it is going to seep out. So you have a few ways to combat that. Either cut the pocket on top of the chicken breast, use toothpicks to seal it closed, pound the chicken flat, and seal it together into a packet, or wrap the bacon tight so very little cheese oozes out from around it. Even if it does ooze out, it will still taste good.
- Use Thin Sliced Bacon: it will crisp up better, a thick sliced bacon will take longer to cook to crisp and can dry out your chicken. If you only have thick cut bacon, pan sear the outside before you bake, otherwise you may end up with a fatty piece of bacon on the bottom that is not appetizing. And chewy bacon instead of crispy.
- Meat Thermometer: Use an instant read meat thermometer to check internal temperature of chicken and cook to 165 degrees F. This will result in perfectly cooked, and perfectly juicy chicken.
Make Ahead and Storage
This recipe is delicious, whether made ahead or not. It is best fresh from the oven, and only takes a few minutes of hands on time, but if you still want to prep it ahead, it freezes amazingly.
I have made this in advance, then used a food sealer to package it in an airtight wrapper. Then when I was ready to use it, I pulled it out, let it defrost, took it out of the package, and then baked as stated.
Make Ahead:
Prep according to directions, but instead of baking, refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake.
Prep according to directions, but instead of baking, package and freeze for up to 2 months, defrost and bake.
Make according to directions, let cool, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Storage:
This is quite good reheated, and can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store in an air tight container, and reheat in the air fryer or oven when ready to eat.
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Bacon Wrapped Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts approximately 4 large chicken breasts
- 8 -12 pieces Bacon thinly sliced
- 15 ounces READ German Potato Salad with sauce
- 8 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Using a sharp knife, slice a pocket or slit into each chicken breast, and fold the breast open.
- Place two slices of sharp cheddar cheese into the pocket, then spoon 4 ounces READ German Potato Salad (with sauce), onto the cheese, so when the breast is folded over there is cheese on either side of the potatoes.
- Fold chicken over and closed so the cheese and potatoes are inside the pocket.
- Then take 2-3 slices of bacon and completely wrap the stuffed chicken breast in bacon, tucking lose ends on the underside of the chicken.
- Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray or coat with cooking oil, and place bacon wrapped chicken into the tray.
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes at 400 degrees F, until the internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees F.
- Switch oven over to Broil on high (500 degrees), and broil 2-3 minutes to crisp up the bacon.
- Check the internal temperature, it should be at 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, and let rest 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
If chicken breasts are smaller, and you have 8 instead of 4, then place only one slice of cheese between each breast, and 1 Tbs or so of the READ German Potato Salad. Then wrap in bacon (you will likely need additional bacon). Check internal temperature at 30 minutes, as smaller chicken breasts will cook faster.
Use thin sliced bacon, as it will crisp up better, a thick sliced bacon will take longer to cook to crisp and can dry out your chicken.
Use an instant read meat thermometer to check internal temperature of chicken and cook to 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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