Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Four Cheese Risotto

This was an experiment. Every once in a while I will try something completely out of my comfort zone. It usually involves me planning a meal, then buying things at the store thinking, "Here goes nothing..." But hey, it's worth it when it works out. Which this did. My husband, in the middle of stuffing his face, kept repeating, "This is really good!" I'm translating for your sake, because in actually it sounded more like, "Dis is rowry goo!" I'm glad that he enjoys my cooking enough to forsake all table manners to let me know. Haha. So without further ado...my lovely experiment in culinary art. :)

Ingredients:
For Chicken-
-Chicken breasts (enough to feed everyone)
-Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (for two breasts, I used about 1/4-1/2 cup)
-Shredded mozzarella cheese (for stuffing, about 1/4 cup for two breasts, and a little for topping the chicken later
-Salt and pepper (to taste)
-Garlic powder (just a little sprinkle on top of the chicken)
-Onion Powder (just a little sprinkle on top of the chicken)
-Canned roasted tomatoes (I used about 1/3 of the can on two breasts)

For Risotto-
-Arborrio rice (about 1/4 cup per person uncooked) YOU MUST USE THIS TYPE OF RICE. Regular long grain rice doesn't cut it. Trust me, I tried.
-Chicken broth/stock (I used 3.5 cups for 1 cup of uncooked rice)
-1 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder
-a handful each (1/4 cup?) of four cheeses-parmesan, asiago, fontina, and mozzarella

Directions:
For Chicken-
On a cutting board, insert a sharp knife into the side of the chicken breast. Hollow out the breast so you can stuff it. What you'll need to do is insert the knife almost completely through, but leave a little bit uncut. Then "wiggle" the knife around inside the breast so that the entire breast is cut almost all the way through on all sides, but leaving the sides themselves in tact, so you basically just have a hole in the middle of one side, then a hollow center. Stuff as much spinach and mozzarella as you can possibly stuff inside the cavity you hollowed out. When you're done stuffing, lay the breast down flat on a greased baking sheet. When all the breasts are stuffed, season with salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder. Drizzle just a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Pour a little of the drained tomatoes from the can onto the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until tomatoes are heated through and the cheese is melted.

For Risotto-
In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth/stock. Mix in the garlic and onion powders. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the rice and stir until it is all coated with oil and slightly translucent. Add about 1/2-3/4 cup of the chicken broth/stock. Stir continuously, letting the rice absorb the liquid. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/2-3/4 cup of broth/stock. Continue until all the liquid has been absorbed and there is none left to add. The rice should be creamy, but al dente. At this point, add the parmesan and asiago cheeses. They are a little harder and take longer to melt than the other two. Stir them in and let them start to melt. Add the other two cheeses. Stir and let them melt as well. When the cheese is melted, serve immediately.

Serve the chicken and risotto together for yumminess. Experiment was a success! Hope you enjoy it too.