The ultimate in a versatile recipe, these breasts are stuffed with not one but three kinds of cheese, chopped roasted pecans, and fresh herbs. It's a company-worthy, hearty classic that’s also perfect for a weeknight or Sunday dinner.
¼cupfeta or goat cheeseor a combination of the two
¼cuproasted or toasted pecanschopped
1tablespoonfresh herbsI used basil and rosemary
4chicken breastsboneless, skin attached
1tablespoonolive oil
½teaspoonkosher salt
¼teaspoonlemon pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cheeses, pecans, and herbs in a small bowl.
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and gently loosen the skin with your fingers.
Divide the cheese mixture between the breasts, filling the area under the skin with as much mixture as you can. Smooth the skin back over the cheese and breast.
Brush the skin lightly with olive oil and sprinkle each breast evenly with salt and lemon pepper.
Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is golden, and the chicken registers 165 degrees with an instant-read meat thermometer.
When they are done, let them stand a minute or so and serve warm.
Notes
The time it will take the breasts to cook will depend on the size. Smaller breasts will take less time, and larger ones will take more time. Mine were about 12 ounces each, and they took 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure they are cooked but not overdone. The only mandatory ingredient in this recipe is the chicken breasts. I buy bone-in, skin-on breasts and ask the butcher to remove the bones for me. Depending on where you live, you may be able to purchase boneless breasts with skin, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. They need to have the skin still attached.Other ideas for the stuffing includes fresh spinach, sliced mushrooms, cream cheese, sliced almonds, pine nuts, mozzarella cheese, ricotta, goat cheese, black or green olives, broccoli, sundried tomatoes, fresh thyme, dried herbs, bacon, etc. Use any combination of cheese and other ingredients that you like.Believe it or not, you can quickly toast a small amount of chopped pecans in your microwave. To do this, place the pecans on a paper plate or microwave-safe plate in a single layer. Microwave for about five minutes. Taste and see if they are done. If not, cook them for another minute or so.