America, the beautiful. Fifty diverse states, each with its own unique culture and regional cuisine. But you know what we all have in common?
We all love eating chicken.
But man can't live on white meat alone. We're always on the lookout for ways to jazz up that old weeknight standby, the boneless, skinless chicken breast. And lately we've found that the best way to jam-pack a chicken breast full of flavor is to, well, stuff things inside of it.
Therefore, allow us to present the 50 States of Stuffed Chicken Breasts: 50 flavor-packed combos, one for each state. Just follow the basic stuffing technique below (and if your state flavor calls for breading, follow the breading process in this recipe). Now get stuffing!
Alabama
Chopped toasted pecans mixed with peach preserves.
Alaska
Smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Arizona
Chopped canned chipotle chiles mixed with honey, plus a slice of meltable white cheese, like mozzarella or jack.
Arkansas
Arkansas, home of the fried pickle: stuff the breasts with pickle slices and then coat in bread crumbs. Serve with a side of ranch dressing.
California
Black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, and salsa. Serve with sliced avocado.
Colorado
Sauteed, diced green chiles (or canned green chiles), queso fresco, cilantro.
Connecticut
A tribute to Frank Pepe's famous apizza: Stuffed with fresh mozzarella, minced garlic, and crispy chopped bacon, served with steamed clams on the side.
Delaware
Florida
Cuban sandwich time! Except the bread is chicken breast: spread with dijon mustard and layer with sliced ham, Swiss, and pickles.
Georgia
Sliced peaches and a sprinkle of thyme leaves.
Hawaii
Sliced pineapple and sliced Spam.
Idaho
Store-bought hash browns (from Idaho, please), diced sauteed green pepper, a slice of ham.
Illinois
Love for the deep-dish pizza: Cooked, crumbled Italian sausage and mozzarella on the inside, tomato sauce on top. Always on top.
Indiana
Pork and beans. Either Indianapolis original Van Camp's or, if you're fancy, make your own.
Iowa
Crumbled Maytag blue cheese, corn kernels, and sliced tomato. If you want to go the extra Iowa mile, wrap the whole thing in bacon (with the ends tucked under the chicken breast).
Kansas
Stuffed with coleslaw and brushed with barbecue sauce.
Kentucky
The traditional tea sandwich flavors of cream cheese and cucumber from Benedictine spread.
Louisiana
Stuffed with boudin and seasoned on top with your favorite Cajun spice mix.
Maine
Wild blueberry jam and sautéed shallots.
Maryland
Massachusetts
Chopped fresh cranberries and onions, quickly sautéed.
Michigan
Chopped dried cherries and herbed cream cheese.
Minnesota
Cooked wild rice, sliced sautéed mushrooms, and sour cream. Optional: tater tots on the side.
Mississippi
Pimento cheese.
Missouri
A tribute to the toasted ravioli of St. Louis: stuff with ricotta and then coat in bread crumbs. Serve with a side of warm marinara.
Montana
Huckleberry chutney (follow this recipe but swap in fresh huckleberries).
Nebraska
Recreate the famous runza stuffed sandwiches in a chicken breast. Flavors may vary, but you can't go wrong with a sautéed combo of ground beef, diced onions, and chopped cabbage. Optional: add a slice of cheese.
Nevada
A nod to the martinis of Las Vegas: chopped pimento-stuffed green olives and shredded provolone.
New Hampshire
Mashed cooked butternut squash and maple syrup.
New Jersey
Stuff it like an Italian sandwich: Salami. Pepperoni. Capicola. Provolone. Sweet peppers. Season the whole thing with salt, pepper, and oregano, and drizzle it with oil and vinegar when it's done.
New Mexico
The original inventors of the Frito Pie: stuff that chicken breast with chile-seasoned ground beef and a super melty cheese like a mild cheddar, and then bread it in crushed Fritos.
New York
The flavor for this one was obvious. Stuffed with crumbled blue cheese, diced celery and carrots, and brushed with Buffalo wing sauce before and after cooking.
North Carolina
Make up a batch of hush puppies— we like these—and crumble them into a stuffing.
North Dakota
Sour cream and dill, a nod to the state's Scandinavian heritage.
Ohio
Goetta, the pork-and-oats sausage of Cincinnati.
Oklahoma
Cornbread and sausage stuffing.
Oregon
Rosemary, mushrooms, and Tillamook cheddar.
Pennsylvania
Philly cheesesteak (cheesechicken breast?) time: stuff it with thinly sliced cooked onions and your choice of cheese: American, provolone, or Cheez Whiz.
Rhode Island
Let's hear it for Portuguese flavors: Linguica sausage and sliced onions.
South Carolina
Stuffed with braised greens and bacon—or even wrap the bacon around the outside, with the ends tucked underneath—and served over grits.
South Dakota
Tennessee
Stuff with crumbled biscuits and sausage, season with a Memphis-style dry rub.
Texas
Queso-stuffed chicken breast is the stuff dreams are made of: stuff it with American cheese, cooked, crumbled chorizo, and canned tomatoes with chile (like Rotel).
Utah
Funeral Potatoes go inside the chicken this time, not the side: Mix store-bought hash browns with shredded cheese and sour cream for the stuffing, and then bread the chicken with crushed cornflakes.
Vermont
Stuffed with cheddar and brushed with maple syrup before cooking.
Virginia
Country ham and mustard.
Washington
Sliced apples, caramelized onions, and fresh sage.
West Virginia
Pepperoni and sliced mozzarella, for the state's ubiquitous snack: the pepperoni roll.
Wisconsin
Sauerkraut, whole-grain mustard, and your favorite Wisconsin cheese.
Wyoming
Cooked ground bison, garlic, and chokecherry jam.
