Name: Chicken Asparagus Roll-ups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 16 asparagus stalks (hard ends snapped off); 16 ounces chicken cutlets (about 1/4 inch in thickness); Salt and pepper to taste; 4 slices Swiss cheese; 4 teaspoons breadcrumbs (whole wheat seasoned or panko; see notes for SBD Phase 1)

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Chicken Asparagus Roll-ups are proof that you don't need a complicated recipe with lots of ingredients to have a healthy, tasty and beautiful entree.

Roll, wrap or stuff your chicken...with asparagus. It's an easy way to up the fun factor at dinner that takes very little time. Consider this:

Baked chicken with asparagus lined up next to it. Tasty, but ho hum.

Chicken layered with Swiss cheese and rolled with a few stalks of fresh asparagus in the middle. Delicious, FUN and low-carb too.

See what I mean? We used this technique at our meal assembly kitchen all the time with recipes like Mango Chutney Chicken and Brie Roll-ups and Chicken Cordon Bleu. This type of entree freezes well before cooking too.

So...why aren't you wrapping and rolling more? Let's knock down all the stumbling blocks.

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Method
How to flatten chicken
How to check for "done"
Freezer notes
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Method

To make chicken asparagus roll-ups, all you need to do is layer a slice of Swiss cheese over a thin-sliced chicken cutlet and roll in some fresh asparagus that has been blanched or cooked for a few minutes in the microwave.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs or almond meal over the top to seal in the juices and bake in the oven.

Ta-Da! You have a tasty, entertainment-worthy presentation that took very little time or effort. Use your extra time to make a fabulous side dish or dessert...or do your nails. Time is on your side and under your control. 🙂

Note for Gluten-Free, Low-Carb and South Beach Diets - Whole wheat panko breadcrumbs add a minimal amount of carbs. However, another option which we love is to dust the top with almond meal!

How to flatten chicken

Don't! Use chicken cutlets instead. The size and of the pieces can vary depending upon what and where you buy them. If needed, and it often is, overlap pieces to achieve the desired size.

Another option is to pound the chicken to about ¼ inch thickness. Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and gently pound.

The key is uniformity. Ultimately, you want the rolls to be about the same thickness so that they cook evenly.

How to check for "done"

Use a meat thermometer to tell when asparagus wrapped chicken is done. Chicken is "cooked through" and safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature on 165 degrees F. The chicken will not be pink, but it will be moist and juices will run clear if you cut it.

But, you don't want to be cutting into these beautiful roulades before dinner has even started!

Insert a meat thermometer into one of the roll-ups and keep it there until it reaches the proper temperature.

Freezer notes

Prepare chicken asparagus roll-ups up to the point where it would go into the oven or through Step 8. Place the chicken in a freezer-safe container with a lid and jot down the contents. When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove the container to the refrigerator and allow the chicken to defrost overnight and then cook it according to the directions. Use within 2 months.

Any way you happen to roll, it's an easy and fun technique that's always a crowd-pleaser.

If you have some leftover asparagus, toss it into brown rice or couscous. This Rice with Mushrooms and Asparagus by Primavera Kitchen looks like a winner!

Please rate this recipe and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom on social media. We love to see what you are cooking up.

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