Easy Stuffed Chicken with Basil, Bacon & Goat Cheese
Don’t worry, this recipe looks awesome, but it’s not hard to make. Stuffed chicken recipes are great to use when you need a fancy dinner (or you want something that seems fancy), but you don’t have a long time to prepare. This Stuffed Chicken with Basil, Bacon & Goat Cheese recipe is an easy solution for dinner your family will love and make you feel like dinner came from an expensive restaurant.
Stuffed Chicken with Basil, Bacon & Goat Cheese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless chicken breasts, skinless
4 ounces goat cheese, divided
6 strips of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
6 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced thin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup balsamic vinegar
How to Prepare:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Start by cutting each chicken breast with a butterfly cut by running a sharp knife horizontally through the thickest part of each breast. To stabilize while cutting, place one hand on top of the breast and hold the knife parallel to the work surface while cutting. Do not cut all the way through. Open the breast so both halves can lie flat.
Use salt and pepper to season the exposed surface, then add 1/4 of the goat cheese (about 1 ounce), crumbled bacon, and sliced basil leaves to each breast. Close the breasts by folding the breasts in half so the cheese mixture is surrounded by chicken breast on the top, back and bottom. Close and secure with long wooden toothpicks, if desired.
In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the olive oil is hot, carefully add the stuffed chicken breasts to the pan to sear. Brown the bottom of each breast, then carefully turn each breast over and brown on the other side. If desired, season top and bottom with salt and pepper, during the browning process.
Next, place the oven-safe skillet in a preheated oven and cook until the chicken reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer when inserted, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover until ready to serve.
When the chicken is almost done, start making the balsamic glaze. Over medium heat, warm the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Stir frequently while heating until the vinegar is reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume. When ready, it will form a thick, syrupy consistency.
Just before serving, place a stuffed chicken breast on each plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Choose your favorite sides from a mixed green salad or roasted vegetables. I suggest trying the Low Carb Broccoli Bacon Salad. Enjoy!
Your turn…
What’s your favorite side dish with stuffed chicken?
