Tasty Thursday~Put Some SPICE On Your Table! Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I actually meant to post this recipe a few days ago, but so much has been going on in my household lately that it honestly just slipped my mind. This is something I concocted last week after seeing a somewhat similar recipe online somewhere. With some tweaking, it came out absolutely wonderful. And while it is a filling, savory yet spicy dinner, it is definitely reminiscent of one of my favorite appetizers, jalapeno poppers. Now we like things a bit spicy in our house, but while this definitely has some kick, it was still mild enough for Kyle to eat without running for a drink and  didn't cause smoke to come pouring out of his ears,lol. And it is EASY to make.  Anyone looking for something quick, tasty, and different should definitely try this one out! It satisfied my  cravings and the hubby ate 2 pieces of this chicken AND his sides in one sitting, and requested that this go into our normal dinner rotation! Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 4  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup olive or peanut oil
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper (sea salt and freshly ground black pepper are best)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste

Directions

1. Stir together the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic  and jalapenos in a small bowl.
2. Put panko in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the cayenne.
3. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast, and fill with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks.
4. Roll the chicken breasts in bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F

NOTE: I have made this twice. The first time, I did the above exactly. The second time, I pan fried for just a few minutes on each side, or just long enough to slightly brown the panko, and then I finished the chicken in the oven, at 350 for 25 minutes. I found that it helped cut down the greasiness just a bit where solely pan frying left it not TOO greasy, but a bit more than my tummy could handle!