Filling includes turkey sausage, spices and a variety of Italian cheeses. Stuffing can be made, chicken prepared, and rollatini assembled all well ahead, refrigerated until ready to bake.
Rollatini can either be made like a jelly roll; stuffing spread over butterflied and flattened chicken and rolled in a spiral pattern. Another way is to place an ample amount of stuffing in the center and wrap the chicken around it like a sausage casing with seams just touching or slightly overlapped.
Although the difference seems insignificant, when baked, larger spiraled rollatini takes longer to safely cook through to their center, perhaps because it's harder for the heat to penetrate layers of dense chicken. The outermost layer of chicken risks over cooking while center is reaching temperature.
Important, when using the casing technique, although the stuffing is precooked, the broccoli rabe mixture is exposed to raw chicken and needs to cook thoroughly through to the same safe inside temperature as the chicken.
Rolls are finished with the traditional three step breading process (flour, eggs and seasoned bread crumbs). Resting the rolls in the refrigerator seam sides down after stuffing makes them easier to bread without tying.
As shown, the dish pairs nicely with Sautéed Mushrooms with Sherry, Butter and Tarragon recipe.
Using this recipe with one bunch of rabe produces enough stuffing to generously fill 7 or 8 rolls (half breasts). Scale down for less.
This recipe was created to be red meat free (chicken is usually considered white meat). You certainly can substitute pork sausages, pancetta, etc. for poultry sausages.
Chicken and brining
Stuffing
Breading
Stuffing:
Assemble: