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Pesto And Cheese-Filled Chicken Breasts

Garden-fresh Thyme Pesto is the star of this elegant entree, but you can also use purchased or homemade basil pesto.

Type: Chicken, Poultry
Courses: Main Course
Serves: 4 people

Recipe Ingredients

4   Boned skinned chicken breasts
1/2 cup 73g / 2.6ozSoft fresh goat cheese
  = (such as Montrachet)
1/3 cup 78mlThyme Pesto - (see below)
1 teaspoon 5mlMinced shallot or green onion
2 tablespoons 30mlOlive oil
  Salt - to taste
  Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
  All-purpose flour - as needed
  Thyme Pesto
1 1/2 cups 355mlFresh parsley - (loosely packed)
1/2 cup 20g / 0.7ozFresh thyme leaves - (loosely packed)
  = (or 1 tbspn dried thyme, crumbled,
  Plus 1/2 cup fresh parsley)
1/2 cup 118mlGrated Parmesan - (abt 2 oz)
1/2 cup 118mlToasted pine nuts or walnuts
2   Garlic cloves
1/2 cup 118mlOlive oil
  Salt - to taste
  Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste

Recipe Instructions

For Cicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch. Combine goat cheese, pesto and shallot in small bowl; mix well. Spread boned side of chicken breast with scant 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Starting at one long side of chicken breast, roll up tightly, jelly roll style. Repeat with remaining chicken and cheese mixture.

Heat olive oil in heavy large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Fry chicken breast in olive oil until golden brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Place skillet with chicken in oven and bake until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

For Pesto: Finely chop first 5 ingredients in processor. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Continue processing until pesto is almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Pesto can be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, July 1991

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