chicken breasts stuffed with gruyere, bacon, sun-dried tomato and basil

By á-1055

These are easy to make. They make a great do ahead dish for company: assemble and tie the breasts the day ahead and cook them just before serving.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato (not packed in oil)
• 2 pieces center-cut bacon
• 4 (6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts
• 8 large basil leaves
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) gruyere cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
• 4 (9-inch) lengths of kitchen string
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water anbd let sit for 20 minutes, or until soft. Discard the soaking liquid and chop the softened tomatoes.

2. Cook the bacon in a large, nonstick skillet; transer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Crumble when cool. Drain off all but 1 tbls of the bacon drippings from the skillet.

3. Meanwhile, cut a horizontal slit through each chicken breast to form a pocket. Fold back the top flap to make filling the pocket easier. Layer the basil leaves on the bottom, and sprinkle them with the chopped softened tomatoes. Top with the cheese and crumbled bacon. Spiral the string around each breast to secure it closed. Sprinkle the outside with the salt and pepper.

4. Heat the bacon drippings in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the chicken breasts and cook 6 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through. Remove string before serving