Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a Lemon Mustard Sauce

I was craving a comforting meal without it being too heavy. I decided to make a box of rice and combine it with sautéed mushrooms and onions. I stuffed it into a couple of chicken breasts and baked it in a lemony mustard sauce. The chicken was juicy, tender, and delicious, and the sauce was tangy, flavorful, and perfect with the stuffed chicken. I served these stuffed chicken breasts with roasted grape tomatoes and steamed artichokes for a healthy, tasty meal that we all enjoyed.

Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a Lemon Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

• One (4 oz) package Farmhouse® Long Grain & Wild Rice Herb & Butter, prepared per instructions
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp feta cheese, more for garnish
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Lemon Mustard Sauce:

• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Dash of thyme
• Zest and Juice from 1 lemon
• 1¼ cup of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

How to Make Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a Lemon Mustard Sauce:

Prepare the rice in a small saucepan per the box instructions. Side Note: I cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor.

While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushroom and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Once the rice has cooked and slightly cooled, add the mushroom mixture and mix well.

Scoop out 4 tablespoons of the rice mixture to stuff into the chicken. Side Note: Serve the remaining rice mixture as a side dish with dinner.

Prepare the chicken by cutting a small slit on the side of each breast to form a pocket, then stuff each breast with 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture.

Use a toothpick to hold the stuffing in. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the sauce by combining the lemon zest, lemon juice, the chicken broth, and the mustard. Set aside.

Cook the chicken by heating oil in an OVENSAFE large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Flip the chicken, then add the minced garlic and a dash of thyme to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Add the sauce mixture and stir, making sure to scrape any of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Place the cast-iron skillet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven, then transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with a foil tent. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside until needed.

Finish the sauce by adding the butter to the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the flour and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.

Slowly whisk the sauce back into the cast-iron skillet.  Let the sauce thicken slightly for a minute or two, stirring often.

Remove from the heat, then whisk in the sour cream. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper if needed.

Place the chicken and its juices back into the pan and coat with sauce.

Serve the chicken sprinkled with fresh parsley and feta cheese with the extra sauce on the side. Enjoy.