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Home Recipes by Type Main Dish
OP One Pan GF Gluten-Free

Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4.20
/5
45 mins
121 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/07/2016Updated: 06/22/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Creamy Gouda cheese and sweet apples make these stuffed chicken breasts a winner! Pair with smoky roasted sweet potatoes for a sheet pan supper that will make everyone happy. Get the easy chicken recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Creamy Gouda cheese and sweet apples make these stuffed chicken breasts a winning recipe! Pair with smoky roasted sweet potatoes for a sheet pan supper that will make everyone happy. 

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: It’s delicious, and clean up is easy!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sheet pan, oven, sharp knife, mixing bowl
Servings: 4

Two stuffed chicken breasts on sheet pan with roasted sweet potatoes.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About these Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  • 3 How to stuff Chicken Breasts
  • 4 Used in this recipe
  • 5 FAQs
  • 6 Make Ahead Tips
  • 7 More stuffed chicken breasts for you!
  • 8 Get the Recipe: Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This post is brought to you by Milk Means More.

Sweet apple pairs perfectly with creamy Gouda cheese, stuffed into a tender chicken breast. Sweet potatoes not only add a great pop of color, but thanks to the smoked paprika, they impart a fantastic smoky element that gives depth to the entire meal.

We’re in the middle of a bathroom remodel right now (our master bathroom), which is exciting and exhausting. If I had endless money, I would have hired a designer. Making all the decisions about tile, paint, countertop, flooring, trim, hardware…

I seriously feel like my head is spinning! Thankfully, we have very patient contractors. Who I pay with apple gouda stuffed chicken breasts.

And money. Lots of money. I wish I were only paying them in chicken. Wouldn’t that be a dream?

I tested this recipe on a day that Ben had a late night at work so instead of letting this chicken go to waste, I tested it out on our contractors who patiently answered my 20 questions about the flavor combinations when they were finished eating.

Just kidding, I kept it to one or two questions.

Overhead of a chicken. breast on sheet pan with sweet potatoes.

About these Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts

In terms of this recipe, it combines a few of my favorite things:

stuffed chicken + sheet pan dinner.

Stuffed chicken, first. EASY. Looks fancy. Win win. Everyone thinks you’ve created this show-stopping chicken recipe. And you were able to do it with very little effort. What could be better?

Front view of roasted chicken and sweet potatoes.

Next, sheet pan dinner. My favorite kind of dinner. One pan dirty, one oven temperature, but a complete meal. Check out lots more sheet pan dinner recipes, if you like sheet pan dinners as much as I do.

How to stuff Chicken Breasts

Begin with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Use the sharpest knife you have to slice each piece horizontally, but not all the way through, and open the chicken like a book. This is also called butterflying. Take a look at the photos below for a visual demonstration.

Collage of process of stuffing chicken, 6 images.

Arrange sliced apples on one half, then Gouda cheese, and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Close the chicken by carefully folding the unstuffed half over the stuffed half. I usually do this whole process right on the sheet pan so you don’t have to transfer the stuffed breast, decreasing the risk of anything falling out.

I like to throw together a quick tossed salad to serve on the side for crisp, fresh green elements. This salad with apples and cucumber is a good match, too.

Enjoy!

Plated dinner with chicken and sweet potatoes on decorative blue plate.

PS: Next time, should we add bacon? I think so.

Used in this recipe

  • sharp paring knife
  • sheet pan
  • smoked paprika
  • olive oil

FAQs

How do I cook chicken breast without drying it out?

Stuffed chicken tends to be less dry because the stuffing keeps it flavorful and moist. Cook chicken in a fairly hot oven (425°F) until it’s just done. Use an instant read thermometer; for chicken, the internal temp should be 165°F.

Can you stuff raw chicken?

I love these butterflied stuffed chicken breasts because both the stuffing and the chicken cook quickly. You won’t have any contamination issues that may occur when you stuff a whole chicken with warm stuffing.

How do you stuff chicken breast without toothpicks?

Because the stuffing is enfolded into the chicken breast, there’s no need for toothpicks. If you happen to use too much stuffing, a toothpick will secure the chicken while it bakes but by the time the chicken is cooked, the toothpick can be removed and the chicken will stay together.

Make Ahead Tips

Stuff the chicken breasts and store in a covered container in the fridge up to a day ahead. Dice the sweet potatoes, cover with water, and store in the fridge up to a day. Drain well, pat dry, and continue with recipe as directed.

More stuffed chicken breasts for you!

  • Sun-Dried Tomato, Kale and Feta Stuffed Chicken
  • Fajita Stuffed Chicken
  • Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast Stuffed with Avocado and Cheddar
  • Hasselback Stuffed Chicken with Spinach and Artichoke
  • Lazy Baked Greek Chicken
  • Nacho Stuffed Chicken from Handle the Heat
  • Stovetop Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken from Center Cut Cook

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Two stuffed chicken breasts on sheet pan with sweet potatoes.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4.20 from 62 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
4 servings
Print Rate Recipe
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Creamy Gouda cheese and sweet apples make these stuffed chicken breasts a winner! Pair with smoky roasted sweet potatoes for a sheet pan supper that will make everyone happy.

Ingredients

For Chicken:

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approx. 10 ounces each
  • 1.5 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 large apple, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil for chicken
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, more as desired for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 fresh ground pepper

For Sweet Potatoes:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Spray a large baking dish or sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Split each chicken breast across but not through and open like a book (be careful, you can easily cut yourself doing this!). This is also known as butterflying.
  • On one side of the chicken, lay 7-8 thin apple slices followed by 4-5 slices of cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme. Fold over and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  • Place the chicken breast on sheet pan and top with another sprig of fresh thyme if desired.
  • In a bowl, mix diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves and sea salt until evenly coated. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer around chicken breasts.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and stir sweet potatoes.
  • Continue to bake until the juices run clear from chicken and internal temperature of chicken registers at 165°F, about 10 additional minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork tender.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/2 chicken breast, Calories: 321kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 708mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
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**Disclosure: I am thrilled to be a dairy ambassador for Milk Means More. I have been compensated by Milk Means More for my time to develop this recipe and write this post. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

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  1. Laura S says

    October 21, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    5 stars
    One of my favorite recipes! It’s so easy and adaptable (I’ll usually use whatever cheese we have if we don’t have gouda) and tastes fancy despite it using just a few simple ingredients we always have around.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 26, 2021 at 8:46 am

      I’m so happy you like this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a coment!

      Reply
  2. Joyce says

    September 27, 2020 at 12:53 am

    I was not a fan at all. Chicken tasted so plain and dry without a bite of cheese/apple with it. 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 28, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Sorry to hear this one wasn’t a hit for you!

      Reply
  3. Scott David says

    January 5, 2020 at 6:28 am

    Delicious, Today served to my family member all of them said to make it again. Thank You
    Cheers

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 6, 2020 at 6:08 am

      So glad to hear you all liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  4. Pat says

    November 3, 2019 at 4:33 pm

    It’s a perfect fall meal! I added a little honey to the sweet potatoes but followed the rest of the recipe exactly! Delicious!!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 4, 2019 at 9:01 am

      So glad you liked it! I bet the honey was delicious!

      Reply
  5. Victoria Marie Clary says

    May 24, 2019 at 3:00 am

    I was very disappointed. The chicken was dry and bland. I added raisins and cashews to the stuffing, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The chicken breasts I used were very plump, but still came out so dry. I am retired and live on my Social Security, so I am very careful about how I spend my money. I wasted money on electricity and ingredients. 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 25, 2019 at 10:09 am

      Sorry to hear you didn’t like this recipe! It’s such a popular one!

      Reply
  6. jackie johnson says

    April 30, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    i thought this was very tasty and would make again

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      April 30, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      So glad to hear you liked this recipe!

      Reply
  7. Rachel says

    July 24, 2018 at 8:16 am

    This recipe didn’t come out as good as I thought it would. The chicken was bland, I barely tasted the apples and cheese, I added bacon but that didn’t help, and the sweet potatoes tasted a little off with paprika and salt. It was a weird, bland combination of flavors. Will not remake.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      July 28, 2018 at 10:18 am

      Sorry to hear that…so many folks love this one!

      Reply
  8. Kelly Douglas says

    May 26, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    Made this for my husband tonight. Told me I need to make this again! I have a son who is celiac. This would be perfect for him! Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 28, 2018 at 6:48 am

      Oh that makes me so happy! So glad you liked these – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  9. Coralie says

    May 17, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    I appreciated the concept of using only one pan—it allowed some of the flavours from the sweet potato marinade to run into the chicken. But unfortunately, the chicken itself was very bland. I was skeptical that the chicken wasn’t seasoned overnight, or brined, or marinated, but I figured that the gouda should transfer enough flavour. It didn’t.

    This recipes wasn’t inedible, but it wasn’t delicious either. But because I like the concept, I think I’ll try it again with a stronger cheese, a marinade or brine, and a bolder type of apple—or a very bold pear. 

    Reply
  10. Lon K says

    February 9, 2018 at 10:51 am

    Hi,

    I made the chicken breast alone. I sauteed two slices of bacon and then sauteed 2 tablespoons of minced shallots. I crumbled the bacon and shallots and added them to the filling. I thought the flavor was pretty good, though next time I think I’ll try a half teaspoon of thyme and back off the shallots to a tablespoon.

    Cooking time was another matter. Chicken breasts are pretty easy to overcook. If I had checked the temperature of the breasts at 20 minutes, I might have been okay, but I waited until 30 minutes. The breasts were then 189 F and dry. My oven is pretty accurate. The recipe might be modified to check the chicken earlier. This would save cooks whose ovens may be over temperature.

    I often wrap chicken breasts in parchment and cook them at 400 F, an approach I found on a Kitchn website. Serious Eats has an interesting discussion regarding the safety of cooking plain chicken breasts to 140 F. Given this, another angle I’m considering is cooking stuffed breasts sous vide. America’s Test Kitchen has a more involved procedure for creating sturdy chicken breast wraps secured with twine that I might try. The first step would be sous vide cooking, followed by skillet browning.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      February 11, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      The size of chicken breasts varies greatly, so it’s possible you had smaller cuts than I did.

      Reply
  11. Zarah says

    November 4, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    I made this for my picky-eater husband and we both loved it! It’s easy, the flavors are perfect, and it’s filling. I made quinoa as well, but it was totally unnecessary. This recipe is fast to assemble and cooks up easily. 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 6, 2017 at 6:38 am

      So glad to hear you liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment – it means so much to me!

      Reply
  12. Deb says

    September 24, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    Just made this – the sweet potatoes needed around 40 minutes and I’m not sure if my chicken breasts were too small but they were very dry after cooking the same amount of time. If I were to make again, I would put the potatoes in about 10 minutes before the chicken and perhaps make a bit of a sauce for them because of how dry they were. Flavours were great though!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 24, 2017 at 8:15 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it! It’s hard because it all depends on the size of the chicken breasts as well as how large you cut your potatoes. In addition, oven temperatures can vary a bit! Thanks for leaving your feedback. :)

      Reply
  13. Randee says

    September 22, 2017 at 6:50 pm

    Making this tonight. So excited to try it. Made it pretty close to the recipe, but also added some crumbled gorgonzola to the gouda and apples for an extra strength in flavor. Excited to see how it turns out. :) Thank you for the recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 24, 2017 at 8:14 pm

      I hope you loved it! I bet it was great with gorgonzola!

      Reply
  14. Kayty Ogren says

    September 14, 2017 at 8:56 am

    It was so good! I cooked it in a dish by itself and made a tray of butternut squash fries to go with it. Will definitely make again! 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 14, 2017 at 11:18 am

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know. :)

      PS: I looooove butternut squash fries! Do you get the ones from Trader Joes? I roast them with cinnamon, salt, and a little cayenne – so good!

      Reply
      • Kayty Ogren says

        September 25, 2017 at 2:42 pm

        Actually, I cut up and made my own. I just like salt and a little pepper on them. I love their flavor (I am a big fan of everything squash tho). Planning to make this chicken again this week. 

        Reply
        • Rachel Gurk says

          September 25, 2017 at 3:04 pm

          Perfect! So glad you like it enough to make it again!

          Reply
  15. Kayty Ogren says

    September 12, 2017 at 4:14 pm

    Haven’t made the recipe yet but definitely want to try. If I can’t find Gouda, is there an acceptable replacement cheese? 

    Reply
    • Kayty Ogren says

      September 12, 2017 at 4:16 pm

      Also, can I use rosemary instead of thyme? Not really a fan of thyme and have a rosemary plant in my garden that I hardly ever use so always looking for an excuse. Lol. 

      Reply
      • Rachel Gurk says

        September 12, 2017 at 5:30 pm

        Cheddar would be good, or Muenster. Havarti might be yummy too! I think rosemary would be good on this — just in a small amount as it tends to overpower dishes. (I never use the rosemary in my garden, either!) I hope you love this recipe!

        Reply
        • Kayty Ogren says

          September 13, 2017 at 7:48 pm

          Trying it tonight and will let you know! I was able to find Gouda at a different store from my usual. $4.50 and I’m going to have to find recipes to use it all. 

          Reply
          • Rachel Gurk says

            September 13, 2017 at 9:27 pm

            Maybe you’ll end up making this recipe multiple times. ;) Gouda is great on sandwiches too!

          • Kayty Ogren says

            September 14, 2017 at 12:21 am

            Probably! I wanna make it again but use more cheese. And I think you’re right, this would be good with bacon in it. 

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