On Sunday I decided to make my boyfriend dinner, which is rare considering he's Italian and loves to do most of the cooking. Since my work schedule has been more lax, however I've been trying to cook for him more. Chicken is by far one of his absolute favorite things to eat and I've been trying to eat more tomatoes (they are extremely good for women since they are rich in lycopene, reducing breast cancer risk, lowering blood pressure & bad cholesterol levels AND they produce more lycopene when cooked which is great for me since I strongly dislike raw tomatoes), so I thought this would be an excellent recipe to try.
The recipe is from What to Cook & How to Cook It by Jane Hornby, which I received for Christmas two years ago. I've tweaked it a little here only because I love rosemary & garlic but it's a fairly easy dish to make and I hope you enjoy it as much as he did!
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken & Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
3 - sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
4 - chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
4 oz - soft goat cheese (I used Ile de France Chevre)
8 - strips of bacon
2 tbsp - vegetable oil
8 - medium ripe tomatoes, sliced in half
2 - cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp - extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
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| the chicken & tomatoes prior to baking |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit along the thickest part of each chicken breast. Spoon 1/4 of your goat cheese into each pocket created by the cut slit, using your fingers to smush the cheese inside and seal the pocket of chicken shut.
3. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and some of your rosemary. Next, wrap 2 strips of bacon tightly around each piece of chicken, tucking in loose ends.
4. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add your vegetable oil. After 30 seconds, add the chicken to the skillet and cook each side for 2-5 minutes or until each side of your bacon is mostly crispy.
5. Using tongs, place the 4 chicken breasts into a shallow casserole dish along with your slices of tomatoes. Season your tomatoes with salt, pepper, sliced garlic, the remaining rosemary and then drizzle the EVOO on each.
6. Place the casserole dish in the oven, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
7. When done baking, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
8. Enjoy!
Recipe serves 4
Takes about 20 minutes to prepare and total cooking time is approximately 40 minutes.
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| the finished product with the amazing juices we drizzled right back over the chicken |
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