Mushroom and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken with Shaved Brussel Sprouts

I am here to admit that I have a problem: I overbuy groceries for big events. I don't know why, but I always worry about there not being enough food, or maybe I just seriously overestimate everyone's appetites? Especially considering I've only ever cooked holiday meals for our immediate family. Somehow I thought my 4 year old, 2 year old, husband, and me were going to consume 2lbs of brussel sprouts with the rest of my Thanksgiving repertoire. It's probably not surprising to you that I got too tired of cooking and nixed the brussel sprouts from our Thanksgiving menu. I also nixed a side salad, and the fried shallots off the top of my green bean casserole. When you're the chef, and your family has to love you unconditionally, you have the privilege of calling such shots. Also, it's not like anyone went hungry. We had so many leftovers, we gave some to friends, ate many left over meals, and made a big turkey soup with some homemade bone broth from the turkey bones. Check out my instagram story highlights if you're intrigued about how to make bone broth at home! Bone broth is a great way to use up any roasted bones you happen to acquire. It's a great way to create less waste and really use every last bit of your ingredients.

Speaking of less waste, back to the brussel sprouts. I needed to whip something up with them fast because they were on the verge of turning on me. I also had a bunch of random mushrooms left from a chef's sampler pack I picked up. I pulled out the chanterelles and shitakes for my wild mushroom stuffing dish on T-day; I was left with what I *think* were oyster mushrooms and clamshell mushrooms to use up. My brain started thinking up some ideas and I landed with a stuffed chicken over shaved brussel sprouts. I wanted to make it easy to whip up any time, versatile, and made with whole ingredients. Luckily this is my criteria for most meals.

This recipe starts off with cooking the filling: frying up some prosciutto, shallot, garlic, and mushrooms; then, adding the cauliflower rice and spices. Honestly, you could swap the meat for bacon or pancetta and have wonderful results. I used prosciutto because it was what I had on hand, and it was also delicious! Then you pound down the meat, roll it up with more prosciutto and your filling. Then sear (in the same pan!) to create beautiful color, and oven finish the meat. While your meat is baking, you can shave your brussel sprouts in a food processor or high-speed blender. I have this great trick: set your high speed blender on speed 3 (slowish, but fast enough to do some shredding), then drop your sprouts through the hole in the lid while the blender is running. You'll have to shake out your blender a couple times and do small batches, but for me it is worth it for smaller dishes. Then you sauté your brussel sprout shavings in olive oil with the remaining filling. It is an elegant and tasty meal, and seems much more fancy than it really is! Let me know how you like it!