Recipe: Balsamic Chicken Roll-Ups
This is an elevated chicken dish that’s as tasty as it is impressive in presentation. Maybe most surprisingly, with a bit of veggie prep, these Balsamic Chicken Roll-Ups come together in a short time. Pairing marinated chicken with rainbow veggies offers a fun and delicious alternative to a standard chicken recipe.
Did you know that the more color we get from our produce, the more disease-fighting benefits we receive? Those colorful phytonutrients can do everything from helping lower cholesterol to reducing the risk of certain cancers! While it’s true we eat with our eyes first, these vibrant hues provide our bodies with much more than just looking pretty on the plate—but we’ll celebrate that aspect too!
Balsamic Chicken Roll-Ups
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1 Tbsp stone-ground Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 lb thin-sliced chicken breasts
- Toothpicks, as needed
- 1/2 lb asparagus spears, ends trimmed off
- 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow squash, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well-combined.
- Place the chicken in a shallow dish and pour the marinade mixture over it, coating the chicken evenly. Marinate in fridge 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Assemble all vegetables on the cutting board.
- Place the chicken on a flat surface. Layer 2-3 pieces of each vegetable on the chicken. Keep close to one end. Ideally, pile the vegetables on top of each other. Starting at the end of the vegetables, roll the chicken tightly around them until it is completely rolled. Use toothpicks to prevent the chicken from unraveling. Place chicken on a baking sheet.
- Repeat step #4 until all chicken breasts are stuffed with vegetables and rolled up securely. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Swaps:
- For the chicken: pork chops or steak
- For the honey: agave, sugar, or maple syrup
- For the Dijon: yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or honey mustard
- For the vegetables: Zucchini, eggplant, carrots, or portabella mushrooms