By Whitney Donohue

Moapa Valley Progress

One of my tricks to getting dinner on the table once school starts and everyday life suddenly becomes hectic is to have a stash of freezer meals waiting in the freezer. I can pull out what I need in the morning (or the night before if it needs to defrost) and be ready when 5:00 comes around and my family is starting to get hungry.

This particular recipe was born from my love of sun-dried tomatoes. I tend to put them in a lot of my meals, but in this particular recipe, the flavor really dresses up the chicken.

There are only four of us still at home, so this recipe is good for four meals at my house. Your mileage may vary.

We liken this recipe to a summer in Italy wrapped up in a chicken breast. Pull these out of the freezer for an elegant supper in no time. The recipe makes 16

stuffed chicken breasts.

Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts

16 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4″ thickness

16 large fresh basil leaves

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes

16 ounces ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons rosemary

2 teaspoons oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Coat one side of each flattened chicken breast with olive oil. Place one basil leaf on the oil-coated side of each breast. In a bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Spoon equal amounts of tomato-ricotta filling on top of the basil leaf side of each chicken breast.

Carefully roll the edges of each breast around the basil leaf and filling. Secure with toothpicks if needed.

Place in a plastic food container seam side down. Label the container with the recipe title and date.

To serve: Remove desired amount of chicken breasts from the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375°. Place in a casserole dish seam side down. Brush or drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden brown and meat is no longer pink, approximately 35-45 minutes.