- 4
Ingredients
- Goat Cheese and Thyme Filling:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed
- salt and ground black pepper
- cheese filling (see recipe below)
- 4-5 slices white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300 F. Place half of the bread in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Repeat with the remaining bread. Toss the bread crumbs with the oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are golden brown and dry, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish and let cool completely. Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing it lengthwise almost in half (starting on the thinnest side) and then opening it to create a single cutlet. Place each cutlet between sheets of plastic wrap and pound until the cutlets are about 1/4-inch thick. Place about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in the center of the tapered half of each chicken breast. Roll the chicken tightly over the filling to completely enclose it and form a cylinder. Press the seam to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken and filling. Refrigerate the chicken, seam side down and uncovered, for 1 hour to allow the edges to seal further. Combine the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish and whisk the eggs and Dijon together in a second shallow dish. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, dredge in the flour, then coat with the egg mixture and finally coat with the bread crumbs you made earlier, pressing gently to adhere the crumbs. The breaded chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F and place the chicken on a wire rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fully cooked (an instant read thermometer should register 160 F), about 40-45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. For the Goat Cheese Filling: Combine all ingredients and mix until uniform.