Stuffed Breaded Chicken with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400° .

Spread the tomatoes on a sheet pan, drizzle olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper.

Toss the tomatoes and roast for 15 to 20 minute until roasted skin starts to pull away. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, cook the shallots and garlic for a few minutes with some olive oil or butter. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute.

Add reserved tomatoes to skillet and cook for another minute.

Deglaze the pan with the red cooking wine. Once it starts to boil add the chicken stock, sugar, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Add salt and pepper. Puree mixture and add the fresh basil. Reserve.

For the filling, combine chopped spinach, cream cheese, chopped capers, cream, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir mixture until well combined and reserve.

For the chicken, prepare a breading station with three plates or shallow dishes:  one with AP flour, one with eggs and one with bread crumbs.

Pound the chicken breast until even thickness. Use plastic wrap over the chicken so it doesn’t splash raw chicken everywhere. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Add 1 to 2 Tbsp. of filling on one 1/2 of chicken breast, then fold the other half over, closing the chicken breast. Use tooth picks to keep it closed. Dredge chicken in flour, the egg mixture and lastly the bread crumbs.

Over medium heat, pan fry chicken on both sides for about 3 to 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken and transfer to an oven-resistant dish. Pour sauce over and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked at 165°.

Remove from oven and add parmesan cheese. Cook on broil for 3 minutes until cheese is melted and caramelized.  Garnish with fresh basil and serve with your favorite pasta, rice, or veggies.