Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts, served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Creamy Gouda cheese and sweet apples make these stuffed chicken breasts a winning recipe! Pair with roasted sweet potatoes for a sheet pan supper that will make everyone happy.

At a glance

What stands out: It’s rich, and clean up is straightforward!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan, oven, sharp knife, mixing bowl
Servings: 4

Sweet apple pairs evenly with creamy Gouda cheese, stuffed into a tender chicken breast. Sweet potatoes not only add a great pop of color, but thanks to the smoked paprika, they impart a fantastic smoky element that gives depth to the entire meal.

About these Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe combines two of our favorite things: stuffed chicken + sheet pan dinner.

Stuffed chicken, first. EASY. Looks fancy. Win win. Everyone thinks you’ve created this show-stopping chicken recipe. And you were able to do it with little effort. What could be better?

Next, sheet pan dinner. Our favorite kind of dinner. One pan dirty, one oven temperature, but a complete meal. Check out lots more sheet pan dinner recipes, if you like sheet pan dinners as much as we do.

How to stuff Chicken Breasts

Begin with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Use the sharpest knife you have to slice each piece horizontally, but not all the way through, and open the chicken like a book. This is also called butterflying. Take a look at the photos below for a visual demonstration.

Arrange sliced apples on one half, then Gouda cheese, and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Close the chicken by carefully folding the unstuffed half over the stuffed half. We usually do this whole process right on the sheet pan so you don’t have to transfer the stuffed breast, decreasing the risk of anything falling out.

We like to throw together a speedy tossed salad to serve on the side for crisp, fresh green elements.

Enjoy!

PS: Next time, should we add bacon? We think so.

Before you start

Make Ahead Tips

Stuff the chicken breasts and store in a covered container in the fridge up to a day ahead. Dice the sweet potatoes, cover with water, and store in the fridge up to a day. Drain well, pat dry, and continue with recipe as directed.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For Chicken:

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10 oz. each)
• 2 ounces Gouda cheese, very thinly sliced
• ½ large apple, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Sweet Potatoes:

• 2 large large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large sheet pan or shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Split each chicken breast across but not through and open like a book (be careful, you can easily cut yourself doing this!). This is also known as butterflying. Refer to the post for photos.
3. On one side of the chicken, arrange 7 to 8 thin apple slices followed by 4 to 5 slices of cheese. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon fresh thyme. Fold over and drizzle with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Repeat with second chicken breast.
4. Place the chicken breasts on sheet pan and top with another sprig of fresh thyme, if desired.
5. In a bowl, mix diced sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves and sea salt until evenly coated. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer around chicken breasts.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and stir sweet potatoes.
7. Continue to bake until the juices run clear from chicken and internal temperature of chicken registers at 165 °F, about 10 additional minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork tender.
8. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully cut each chicken breast in half vertically to make 4 servings. Serve with sweet potatoes on the side.