Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts are a delectable meal to make on the grill for a hearty family meal and delicious enough for entertaining.
Chicken breasts are stuffed with ham, cheese, bell peppers and onions and then grilled with hardwood smoke. Top it all off with a savory cheese sauce and serve over rice for an unforgettable dinner.
Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
- Whole Boneless Chicken Breasts
- Diced Bell Peppers
- Diced Onions
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Diced Ham
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Everything Bagel Seasonings
For the Cheese Sauce:
- Butter
- Diced Onions
- Diced Bell Peppers
- Minced Garlic
- All Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Whole Milk
- Cream Cheese
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
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How to Grill Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
- Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the center of each chicken breast lengthwise, about 2- 3 inches wide, depending on the size of the chicken, creating a pocket for the filling. This is a little more difficult than slicing the breasts in half but it will keep the filling in while cooking.
- Mix diced bell peppers, diced onions, diced ham, shredded cheese, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
- Press the filling into the pocket of each chicken breast.
- Place chicken on a sheet pan and spray or brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and everything bagel seasoning.
- Grill over indirect fire with pecan chunks or hickory for smoke flavor with the grill lid closed.
Cook for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top of the chicken breasts reach 165° using a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove from grill and rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt butter in a skillet or heavy pan over medium heat. Cook diced onions, bell peppers and garlic until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in flour and salt, cooking about 2 minutes.
- Add milk and cream cheese. Whisk until cream cheese is melted.
- Lower to simmer and mix in shredded cheddar cheese.
- Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Drizzle chicken breasts with a bit of the cheese sauce.
- Move chicken to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife.
- Serve with additional cheese sauce and cooked rice if desired.
How to Store and Reheat:
- Store leftover stuffed chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.
- Reheat sliced chicken in a skillet coated in olive oil, over medium heat. Turn chicken slices after a few minutes to heat through.
- Cheese sauce can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Reheat in a small pan with a tablespoon of milk, whisking until heated through.
More Delicious Grilled Chicken Recipes to Try:
This ham and cheese stuffed chicken breast was inspired by the classic Cordon Bleu and is even more flavorful and delicious with the smoky grilled flavor. Add it to the menu for your next get together with family and friends for a dinner that is sure to impress.
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Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts are stuffed with ham, cheese, bell peppers and onions and then grilled with hardwood smoke. Top it all off with a savory cheese sauce for an unforgettable dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Everything Bagel Seasoning
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup diced bell peppers
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 cups cooked rice for serving, optional
- fresh parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a grill fire to 350° using pecan or hickory for smoke flavor.
- Make a pocket in the center of the chicken breasts by slicing through the center from one end, making a 2- 3 inch slit, not cutting all the way through.
- In a bowl, combine, ham, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup diced onion, ¼ cup diced bell peppers, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Stuff filling into chicken breasts.
- Place on a baking sheet and brush or spray with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and Everything Bagel Seasonings.
- Cook chicken over indirect fire with the grill closed for about 25 minutes. Check internal temperature using a digital thermometer in the top of the chicken breast. Cook until chicken reaches 165°.
- Remove to a platter and rest five minutes.
- Prepare the cheese sauce while the chicken is cooking. Melt butter in a skillet and cook ½ cup diced onion, ¼ cup diced bell peppers and the minced garlic clove over medium heat, stirring often until vegetables are softened.
- Add flour and whisk to combine. Continue to stir and cook about 2- 3 minutes. Whisk in milk.
- Add cream cheese and whisk until fully melted. Lower to simmer and mix in 2 cups shredded cheddar until fully combined and sauce is smooth. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Drizzle about a tablespoon of sauce over each chicken breast and move to a cutting board. Slice into thin slices, cutting across the wide part of the chicken, so that the filling stays inside the pocket.
- Serve sliced chicken over rice with additional cheese sauce. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Store leftover cheese sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Reheat sliced chicken in a skillet coated in olive oil over medium heat. Turn carefully after about 2 minutes to heat from both sides.
Reheat cheese sauce in a small pan with about 1 tablespoon of milk, whisk and cook over low heat until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 792Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1274mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 45g
Nutritional information is estimated and may not be accurate.
wilhelmina
So rich and delicious, this is a homerun! It was easy to make but felt like a fancy restaurant dish!