This yummy dinner is one of the first “fancy” dishes that I learned to make. You can pair it with a simple roasted-beet salad for a quick weeknight meal or do a full spread like I did with some Panko-tossed squash and baby potatoes if you’ve got some time. Enjoy!

Ingredients – Stuffed Chicken

Four chicken breasts
One small jar sun-dried tomato pesto
Four slices ham
Four slices Havarti
Eight spears asparagus
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Salt and pepper

• On cutting board pound out the chicken breasts until doubled in size.
• Then, take a chicken breast, salt and pepper it, then spread pesto across entire interior.
• Then layer one slice of Havarti cheese and one slice of ham.
• Follow with two parboiled asparagus spears (boiled for about two minutes and cut at mid stalk).

• In a hot cast iron pan [or similar stone to oven pan], sear the chicken on each side (careful to not sear the top as the cheese will spill out).
• Place into preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove toothpicks before serving.

Ingredients – Salad

4 medium beets, peeled
4 cups spinach
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1 sliced honey crisp apple
Goat cheese

• Peel and slice beets into rounds.
• Toss in salt, pepper and a tbsp olive oil.
• Roast beets at 400 for 20 mins on greased baking sheet or until soft.
• Add to a bowl with all other ingredients other than cheese. Toss. Top with cheese.
• Add dressing from below.

Ingredients – Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic glaze
1 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tbsp or more of wine (or water) to dilute
Pepper

• Whisk all together and pour over salad.