Stuffed Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

Came home from work and we were hungry so I got right to it for dinner.  First, I threw some baby carrots and half of bag of frozen peas in a 8×8 pyrex, drizzled some olive oil and sprinkled on some salt and pepper.  Into the oven at 425.

Now, onto the main course.  Stuffed Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese.  I’ve had some goat cheese laying around in the fridge for over a week so it was time to put the remains out of its misery.  I combined it with a little butter, a little salt and pepper, some dried herbs (fresh would be better, but I didn’t have any) and rolled it up in some chicken breast.  After I dredged it in some flour, I seared it in a dutch oven and finished it off at 350 in the oven with the carrots and peas.  After 30 minutes, dinner was served.  (Yes, that is some of the leftover homemade pasta on my dish from New Years, which I posted on Jan. 2.)

The chicken was moist and the goat cheese savory and flavorful.  I loved that cheese gives a warm, fragrant ooze when you cut into the chicken.  YUM!  Tonight’s eating in was a delight!

STUFFED CHICKEN WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

5-6 tablespoons goat cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ tsp dried garlic powder

pinch of cayenne

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With a chicken breast flat on a cutting board, using a sharp knife, slit chicken breasts into 4 even pieces.

Wash hands well.

In a small bowl, mash together the goat cheese, butter, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Season chicken with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Divide the goat cheese mixture between the four pieces of chicken.  Then roll chicken and hold stuffing into place with toothpicks.

In a shallow bowl, lightly beat the egg. One at a time, lightly dust the chicken on all sides with the flour, then dip in the egg, shaking to remove any excess. Place again in the flour and turn to completely coat, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.

In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.