Lunch / Dinner
“Pimento Cheese” Chicken & Greens with Red Peppers & Cheddar
A few fundamental ingredients bring big flavor to this simple dish brimming with Southern influence. A spread made with sharp Cheddar, pimentos, and mayonnaise, pimento cheese is a Southern favorite, and is one inspiration of these grilled chicken breasts.
A staple of “soul food” and used often in Southern cooking, collards are a bold green often considered too strongly flavored to be eaten raw or on their own. Instead, they’re often boiled with bacon or salt pork to help tone down the thick, bitter leaves.
For this recipe, grill the greens until softened and charred, remove the tough stems, then sandwich them inside chicken breasts with Cheddar and bell pepper.
Ingredients
BUTTERFLY:
PREPARE:
SPRINKLE:
Instructions
Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil.
Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally, stopping just before cutting all the way through to leave a “hinge.” Open breast like a book. Brush breasts with 1 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and black pepper.
Prepare bell pepper and collard greens by brushing with remaining oil and seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Grill bell pepper pieces, skin side down, until charred, then flip and continue cooking until softened. Grill collard greens just until they soften and begin to char, 1–2 minutes. Remove stems from greens and discard. Rough chop or tear greens.
Grill chicken, cut side up, 4 minutes.
Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. Cheddar on each breast, then top one side with a bell pepper piece, greens, and thyme. Grill chicken 1 minute more, then fold over cheese half and continue grilling until cooked through, 3–5 minutes more.
Butterfly the breasts by slicing through them horizontally, leaving a narrow hinge on one side.
An easy way to remove the greens from the ribs is with kitchen shears — if cooled, tear with your hands.
So the breasts are easier to fold, do so before they’re fully cooked, and add the vegetables to only one side.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 332
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 24%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 293mg 12%
Carbs 5g 1%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 41g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.