Pancetta Wrapped Chicken Stuffed Peppers

I was craving stuffed peppers a few weeks ago, but was a little bit bored with the basic Italian sausage stuffed pepper recipes out there. I decided to lighten them up a bit by using lemon pepper chicken, crumbled goat cheese, fresh basil, and cherry tomatoes straight from my garden. I wrapped them in pancetta and baked them to create a zesty, hearty, and healthy dish that the whole family will love!

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(serves 4)

Ingredients:

Olive oil for pan

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

4 large poblano peppers

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)

8 slices of pancetta (I bought one package and it only had 7 slices, so I recommend buying two just in case!)

(1.) In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add chicken breasts. Season one side of both chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Cook for 5-7 minutes and then flip to the other side. Season with remaining lemon pepper seasoning and cook another 5-7 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Since we’re going to be cutting these up into smaller pieces anyway, cut into the thickest part of the chicken to make sure it’s all the way cooked. (2.) While the chicken is cooking, cut a ½ inch wide strip lengthwise out of the side of the peppers. Cut out the seeds and membranes attached to the stem inside and discard. When chicken is finished cooking, transfer to a plate to rest for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (191 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with foil. (3. & 4.) Cut chicken into small bite-sized chunks and place in a medium sized bowl. Add cherry tomato halves, chopped basil, minced garlic, and crumbled goat cheese and stir to mix. If mixture appears dry, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and stir to mix.

Spoon mixture into peppers until they’re full. If you have leftover mix, just cover and refrigerate. I used it the next day by putting it on some bread and making it a chicken salad sandwich!

Wrap pancetta around peppers (two strips per pepper) and if you need to, secure with a toothpick.

Place peppers on prepared baking sheet and put them into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes or until pancetta is crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool 1-2 minutes. Dish them up and serve!