A brightly colored center of green leaf spinach and mild white cheese fills these breasts of chicken and makes an attractive presentation. This filling melts in your mouth. Serve this chicken hot, at room temperature or chilled. Try using piquillo peppers for the roasted peppers in this dish.
Chicken Stuffed with Beecher's
Blank Slate and Spinach
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons shallot -- minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
6 cups fresh cleaned spinach -- chopped roughly
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts -- sliced in half, pita bread style
4 ounces Beecher's Tapenade Blank Slate
1 tablespoon olive oil -- for coating the chicken
3 tablespoons Italian parsley -- minced
salt and cayenne pepper for roasting
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic, shallot, and thyme for 2 minutes, until softened. Add the spinach, and saute for 1 minute longer, until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, mix the roasted red peppers with the lemon juice.
Mix the cooled spinach with the roasted pepper mixture. Place about one-quarter of the spinach mixture in the center of each sliced chicken breast. Evenly divide the cheese among the chicken breasts, placing a small spoonful over the spinach mixture.
Fold the top of the breast over the filling to form a package, sealing the bottom of the chicken packages wherever needed. Brush each breast with olive oil, and season with salt and a pinch of cayenne. Place the chicken in a glass baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, brush the chicken with a little more olive oil, and cook an additional 10 minutes, until the chicken is brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Place the chicken on a serving platter and slice into rounds; sprinkle with the parsley. Serve.
Recipe from Chef Scott Samuel of Simply Brilliant