Work-ahead Chicken Rollatini (Chicken Rollups)

This Chicken Rollatini (chicken rollups) recipe makes a perfect romantic meal for two. This is sure to be a date night or Valentine's Day dinner favorite.

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(Updated post.)

This easy chicken rollatini recipe is a perfect choice for a Date Night dinner any day of the week.

You can work ahead so that there are only a few remaining steps at "go time."

Chicken rollatini is simply a chicken breast that has been pounded out to uniform thickness, seasoned, layered with cheese and prosciutto or pancetta, then rolled up.

It's a very similar concept to Chicken Cordon Bleu.

The resulting "chicken rollups" are breaded and then either fried or baked. (I prefer baking to keep them on the lighter side.)

To serve, you slice the chicken rollatini into gorgeous stuffed chicken pinwheels.

How to make Chicken Rollatini

Slicing the chicken breasts

It couldn't be easier! The night before our special meal, I take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise.

Why do I do this?

Most saltimbocca or rollatini recipes direct you to cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise and then pound flat. But in my opinion, my way is easier to work with.

You also end up with rolls that are almost exactly the same (see below), which simplifies the cooking time tremendously.

Pounding out the chicken breasts

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and carefully pound the meat until it's uniformly about ¼ inch thick.

Note that the small end of the chicken breast requires much less pounding.

Rolling up the rollatini

Start by placing your pounded chicken on a big piece of plastic wrap.

Seasoning the chicken and layer on the prosciutto and provolone.

Time to roll it up.

Always start with the small end and begin to roll it up towards the wider end.

Don't feel you need this to be packed tight. You will almost be lifting up the chicken and rolling it into itself to help it along.

Wrap it tightly in plastic, and keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (but up to 1 day).

Rolling in plastic helps the rollatini keep its form during the cooking process.

I didn't even use toothpicks to hold it together, though you certainly can if you're worried that the rollatini will come undone.

Then, when you're ready to start preparing dinner, pull the rollatini out of the fridge, remove the plastic, and get to work on the breading.

Applying the breading

This is a simple matter of setting up a dredging station.

First, roll the chicken rollatini in seasoned flour

Second, dip the entire chicken roll up in the egg wash

Lastly, carefully roll the rollatini in the bread crumb mixture.

Let the breaded rollatini rest at room temperature for about half an hour.

This extra time also helps keep the breading adhered to the chicken.

Cooking the chicken rollatini

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a baking rack with cooking spray.

Set the rack into a foil-lined baking sheet, and set the chicken rollatini seam-side down onto the rack.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the rollatini reads 165°.

Sometimes some cheese will ooze out of the ends of the chicken rollatini, but that's okay. You can always scoop it up and dab it onto the plate!

The hardest part is letting these golden-brown beauties rest for 10 minutes before slicing into them.

Cheese for Chicken Rollatini

I love provolone in this chicken rollatini because it gives a sharp, ooey-gooey meltiness that perfectly complements the salty, savory prosciutto.

Gruyere would also be fantastic.

The breadcrumb coating is delicious in its own right, with a generous amount of grated Pecorino Romano, salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence.

Side dishes for work-ahead chicken rollatini

A mixed-green or arugula salad with vinaigrette dressing would be a wonderful accompaniment to the chicken rollatini.

My Arugula Shaved Fennel Salad, Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze, or Asparagus Orzotto would also be a nice complement to the chicken.

Since each serving is half of a chicken breast—AND because you bake the work-ahead chicken rollatini on a rack so that they're not sitting in fat—this dish is also fairly light. You'd never know it from the taste!

Don't let the simplicity of this dish fool you: it's every bit a romantic dinner—or any special-occasion meal.

Happy Valentine's Day!

—xoxo Michelle

Linkies

• #CookBlogShare, a great food blogger recipe-share hosted this week at Everyday Healthy Recipes.
• Delicious Dishes Recipe Party, a weekly link party where bloggers share their most delicious recipes and check out other bloggers’ amazing recipes, hosted by Walking on Sunshine.

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