When Katie recently met up with Good Taste contributor and esteemed culinary creator Maxine Sharf, the pair donned their aprons and immediately got down to business. They had much to discuss: Sharf's debut cookbook, Maxi’s Kitchen, hits bookshelves on March 3, and Katie wanted the lowdown on Sharf's unique background as a former techie turned viral kitchen whiz.
Of course, they also broke out the meat mallet and made one of Sharf's delectable dishes. The recipe they chose comes straight from the heart: "This is one of my most cherished family recipes," Sharf says as she shows off a juicy plate of her Nana's broccoli and Swiss cheese-stuffed chicken.
"Breaded chicken is stuffed with broccoli and Swiss," Sharf continues, "and then baked until it gets melty, cheesy, and golden-brown on top."
This is the kind of nostalgia-laced dinner that's perfect for entertaining — elegant enough to wow your guests, but cozy enough to make everyone feel right at home. Plus, your kitchen will be perfumed with the savory, mouthwatering scent of roasted chicken, which is the kind of aroma that will have everyone hovering near the oven asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Maxine Sharf's Broccoli and Swiss Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 equal pieces, plus more for greasing
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup (1.3 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
- 16 slices Swiss cheese (about 13 ounces; see Tip)
- 1 pound frozen broccoli florets
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
- Working with one chicken breast at a time, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet (or a heavy skillet) to ¼-inch thickness. Slice each breast in half crosswise to create two equal-size pieces. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large shallow bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Place the Swiss cheese and broccoli close by for easy access.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, coat both sides in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing it on with your fingers, then place in the prepared baking dish. Place one piece of Swiss cheese on top of the chicken, then place about ⅓ cup of the broccoli florets on top of the cheese. Roll up the chicken to enclose the broccoli and cheese and place it seam-side down in the dish. Don’t worry if the broccoli spills out, just tuck it back in with your fingers. Repeat until all the chicken is stuffed.
- Nestle any remaining broccoli around the chicken in the dish. Season any of the exposed broccoli with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb-Parmesan mixture on top.
- Place one piece of butter on each piece of chicken. Cover everything completely with the remaining Swiss cheese, slightly overlapping the edges.
- Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken registers 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tip: We love using aged Swiss cheese — if you can find it, try it!
Maxi’s Kitchen, Copyright © 2026 by Maxine Sharf. Photographs copyright © 2026 by Amy Neunsinger. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, A division of Penguin Random House LLC.
