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These chicken breasts are stuffed with a yummy cheesy/herb mixture and I regret not taking a photo so that you could see the filling! This is a quick and easy dish to prepare and the chicken is moist, which is a requirement at our home!
Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
12 slices of bacon (or more if desired)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
4-5 ounces cream cheese, softened
Line a large cookie sheet (with 1/2" sides) with aluminum foil
and place an oven proof rack on top of foil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, thyme, tarragon, pepper & garlic
Cut 1" slits in the side of each chicken breast and try to expand the slit about 1/2 way into the breast...stuff the slit with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Take a bacon slice and starting at one of chicken breast, firmly wrap bacon around the chicken in a spiral direction, covering all of chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
Cook the bacon wrapped chicken breasts until the bacon becomes a little crispy (about 4-6 minutes on each side.
Remove from pan and place on prepared rack...
Place in oven and bake about 20-30 minutes.
It is a treat to bite into the filling!!!
This recipe was adapted from a Southern Living publication.
I attended a Pampered Chef party recently and decided the garlic press was a MUST!
Check out the little removable cleaning tool above...clever to say the least.
And there is no need to peel the garlic clove, just place it in the little "basket" and squeeze the handles together...you don't need to be a body builder to use this!
One end of the cleaning tool is meant to scrape the minced garlic off the edge and the "pronged" end fits nicely into the basket and any garlic bits left just get pressed out!
For those of you not familiar with Northern Lower Michigan please be advised that the Grand Traverse Region is well noted as a resort area and now as a "Food City"!
In a recent (4/12/2010) Traverse City Record-Eagle Food Section newspaper article the following headline appeared: No Surprise - TC is a food city!
Here is the article:
Traverse City is the No. 1 "Surprising Food City" in a survey at Livability.com "Known as the Cherry Capital of the World, the Lake Michigan resort town of Traverse City does a pretty good job with other foods, too," the entry says.
It cites an Associated Press story by Traverse City-based writer John Flesher, posted at Huffington Post, and Midwest Living magazine's list of best food towns that put Traverse City in second place (after Madison, Wisconsin).
The new survery singles out chef Myles Anton of Stella Trattoria and the wines of the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas.
Other cities rounding out the top 10 are Asheville, NC; Boulder, Colorado; Kansas City, MO; Walnut Creek, CA; Eugene, Oregon; Albuquerque, NM; Withita, Kansas; Logan, Utah; and Pueblo, Colorado.
Our region of Michigan boasts beautiful lakes, shopping destinations, and of course lots of good food and beverages!
Please consider visiting our neck of the woods!
This lime salad is worthy of your attention...the photo does not do it justice but trust me on this one, it is a tasty little salad that would be perfect for a ladies spring luncheon.
I modified a recipe from Taste Of The South Magazine as follows:
1/2 cup sliced red grapes
1 cup boiling water
1 3oz. package of lime gelatin
1 cup sparkling grape juice
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Cool Whip, thawed
Lightly coat 6 1/2 cup molds with cooking spray (I used a decorative pumpkin pan)
Place sliced grapes into bottom of molds
In a medium bowl, combine gelatin & boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved
Add sparkling grape juice
Reserve 1 cup of gelatin mixture at room temperature
Pour remaining jello mixture into prepared molds.
Refrigerate until set, but not firm, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and Cool Whip at medium speed with electric mixer
Gradually add the room temperature gelatin, beating until smooth
Pour cream cheese mixture over the set gelatin and return to fridge for about 3 - 4 hours
I did have a little difficulty removing the cute little salads from mold but with a bit of patience they popped out and looked quite nice on a bed of leaf lettuce, garnished with strawberry & mango slices.
A silicone mold would probably be perfect for this salad!
Carrot Muffins are always served with Chicken Salad at our home! And they happen to be a favorite with the birthday girl, Courtney Amber Groves! She is such a loving daughter and a good, good friend...I love you, Sweetie!!! I must mention that the little hot pad was made by my Grandma Bessie and she was one talented lady who passed away on my 30th birthday. The hot pad consists of canning jar lids that she saved by the dozens to create these little gems. She crocheted little circles and then fit them around the lids. Placing the lids in a circular pattern, she stitched them together and passed them along to our family to enjoy for years to come.
Carrot Muffins:
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
1/2 cup raisins, optional
(our family opts out of the nuts & raisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place paper liners in muffin tins
Beat sugar and oil well. Blend in lightly beaten eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda & salt. Gradually stir dry ingredients into oil mixture, blending well. Lastly, fold in grated carrots. Spoon batter into liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen muffins.
Sugared almonds, good enough to eat like candy! The recipe can be located on the post just prior to this one.
One of Courtney's favorite dessert's is Neopolitan, originally named Banana Split. The recipe is from Jan Petteys (our Pastor's wife) and she is one fine cook! Jan placed sliced banana's on top of the crust before adding the ice cream, hence the name.
Neopolitan:
2 packages graham crackers (finely crushed)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar (or a bit more)
Combine above ingredients and pat into a 9 x 13 pan, place in freezer for awhile
~~~
1/2 gallon Neopolitan ice cream, sliced in approximately 1" pieces to fit on top of crust
1 cup chopped peanuts
Place the ice cream slices on top of crust and then sprinkle peanuts over all
~~~
Now the chocolate sauce:
Melt together:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
add 2 cups 10x sugar (sifted) alternately with 1 1/2 cup evaporated milk slowly
over medium heat bringing to a boil and cook until thick ( this takes awhile)
~~~
Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of Madagascar vanilla
and allow to cool at room temperature
~~~
After the chocolate sauce has cooled, pour on top of peanuts and place back in freezer
~~~
Whip 2 small cartons of whipping cream and sweeten to your taste
Spread over chocolate topping and top with additional chopped peanuts if desired
Return to freezer
~~~
Enjoy
Auntie Courtney with Maggie~ About to extinguish the candles
Another favorite recipe of Courtney's is chicken salad...
Chicken Salad:
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked & cooled
1 cup chopped carrots
1 large head of broccoli, separated
2 cups grapes, sliced in 1/2
1 cup chopped sweet pickles
8 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
4-5 large chicken breasts, cooked
Mix the above together and add a little Hellman's Light to the mixture...(maybe 3/4 cup or so)
3 to 4 small cartons whipping cream (whipped & sweetened to taste) and now add to the salad
You can add chopped dried cherries, celery, etc. to the above~
I generally decorate the salad with a few mandarin oranges, sliced fresh strawberries, and sprinkle with dill weed.
The crowning touch is Sugared Almonds:
1 egg white, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Beat egg white at high speed of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar (1 tbsp. at a time), beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in almonds. Pour butter into a 9" square pan. Spread coated almonds in pan over butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until almonds are dry, stirring every 5 minutes. Set almonds aside to cool and allow guests to garnish their own chicken salad!
How exciting to see the rhubarb sprouting...after today's rain and tomorrow's predicted sunshine, the "pie plant" should really grow!
Dale Evans