stuffed chicken breasts with penne pasta

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb bulk ground sausage (jimmy dean or other brand)
• 1 (8 ounce) package monterey jack cheese or 1 (8 ounce) package colby
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 4 cloves garlic, finely mined
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 large onion, cut into strips
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 (12 ounce) bag penne pasta

Recipe

• 1 pound chicken into uniform thin rectangles with a meat mallet.
• 2 divide uncooked sausage into 6 equal pieces.
• 3 cut 6 1/2" thick sticks from the cheese.
• 4 set aside.
• 5 wrap sausage around each cheese stick to enclose completely.
• 6 place each sausage bundle on each chicken breast roll up and secure with tooth picks.
• 7 melt 2 tbsp butter in lg skillet or dutch oven over med high heat.
• 8 add chicken and brown on all sides about 5-7 min.
• 9 remove chicken; set aside.
• 10 melt remaining butter in the same skillet.
• 11 add bell pepper,onion, garlic, cumin and ginger;cook and stir until onions are translucent.
• 12 stir in tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce then the vinegar.
• 13 cook for about 5 minutes then add chicken bundles, cook covered 30-40 minutes or until flavors blend.
• 14 to serve cook penne pasta and drain.
• 15 pour half the sauce over the pasta place chicken on platter with pasta then spoon remaining sauce over the chicken.