Wednesday, January 18, 2012

chicken with goat cheese and basil

I think the best recipes contain all the ingredients in the title.  Take for example, chicken with goat cheese and basil.

You will need:
chicken - 4 boneless breasts with skin on {specifically ask your butcher/meat guy} I used bone-in breasts this time...taste is the same, just more work to cut around the bone.
goat cheese - one 8 oz herbed log
basil - fresh leaves

Okay, you also will want to get out your olive oil, salt and pepper.  But that ain't no thang.

I've made this a few times, having found the recipe in House Beautiful magazine, in a feature with recipes by Ina Garten.  Could anyone have a better name???

Anyway, I was drawn to it due to the goat cheese, naturally.  If you don't know about my obsession with goat cheese, you just don't know me well enough yet. :)
To make:
1. Heat oven to 375.
2. Set the chicken breasts in a casserole dish or on a sheet pan.  Use your finger to separate the skin from the chicken breast in one area{carefully, without creating more than a small opening.}
2. Cut your log of delicious herbed goat cheese into half inch rounds.  Insert no less than 2 of them under the skin of each breast.

3. Insert 1-2 basil leaves under the skin as well.  Pull the skin back over as much of the meat as possible, so the meat stays moist.
4. Baste each breast with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.
Serve on a bed of brown rice, for a healthy dinner!
g