Name: Crunchy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken - Romantic Valentine Dinner
Ingredients: 4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves; 2 ounces Land o' Lakes Cheddar cheese, cut into 4 (2 x ½ x ½-inch) strips; ½ cup cornflake crumbs; 1 ounce (¼ cup) Land o' Lakes Cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 teaspoon seasoning salt; 1 egg, beaten

Why it works: Chicken and cheddar cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,312 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓

Crunchy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken - Romantic Valentine Dinner

Oven400°F

Time20 to 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 ounces Land o' Lakes Cheddar cheese, cut into 4 (2 x ½ x ½-inch) strips
½ cup cornflake crumbs
1 ounce (¼ cup) Land o' Lakes Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 egg, beaten

Directions

Prepare the chicken

Heat oven to 400°F.
Cut a 3-inch slit in each chicken breast half to form a pocket.
Insert 1 strip cheese into each pocket. Secure each pocket with several toothpicks.

Coat the chicken

Combine crumbs, shredded cheese and seasoning salt in a pie pan or shallow bowl.
Place beaten egg in another pie pan or shallow bowl; dip chicken in egg.
Lightly press both sides of chicken in crumb mixture to coat.
Place chicken onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

356Calories

44 gProtein

18 gFat

1 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Chicken + cheddar cheesetop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,312 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Cheddar cheese + eggtop 25% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,287 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Chicken + eggtop 30% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,991 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chicken breast halves: Forms the main body of the dish, cooking through to a tender, moist texture when baked.
Cheddar cheese: Melts inside the pocket, adding richness and a creamy filling as the chicken bakes.
Cornflake crumbs: Form a crisp, golden coating that browns in the oven.
Egg: Acts as a binder so the crumb coating sticks to the chicken.

The step that matters

Securing the pocket with toothpicks. If the slit is not sealed well, the melting cheese can leak out during baking, leaving the filling dry and the coating uneven. Several toothpicks help hold the pocket closed while the heat sets the chicken.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Crunchy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken - Romantic Valentine Dinner