CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until it begins to curl and turn red - you want it to be partially cooked but still flimsy. Place bacon on a paper towel while preparing other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and chives. Set aside.
• Place chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, flatten chicken breasts until they're about 1/4 inch thick.
• Spoon a portion of the cream cheese mix and spread it in the center of the chicken breast, keeping at least a 1/2 inch gap from the edges clear.
• Starting with the smallest end, roll up the chicken breast. With the seam side of the chicken facing up, wrap pieces of bacon around it so that the ends of the bacon are tucked beneath the chicken. Wrapping this way should secure the bacon and keep the chicken wrapped. If needed, use toothpicks to help keep the chicken wrap together.
• Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Turn oven to broil for 5 minutes to crisp the bacon. If desired, sprinkle more fresh chopped chives on top.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Boil the kettle, tip the mushrooms into a small bowl, pour over boiling water to just cover, then leave to soak for 15 mins. Drain and squeeze out the mushrooms (save and freeze the liquid to make a base for a gravy) and roughly chop.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the shallots and garlic for 3 mins. Turn up the heat, throw in the mushrooms and cook for a few mins more. Add the spinach, turn the heat up to high and cook until wilted and all the liquid has evaporated. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Beat in the cheeses and season with loads of pepper and a little salt. Set aside.
• Take the chicken breasts and remove the small fillet from the back. Cut a slit into the side of each chicken breast then stuff each one with a quarter of the spinach mixture, closing it with the cut-off fillet. Carefully wrap each stuffed chicken breast in a slice of prosciutto and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to a day ahead.
• To cook, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line up the chicken on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 mins until the prosciutto is frazzled at the edges, the cheese is oozing out and the chicken is cooked through.