BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN WITH BLUE CHEESE & PECANS

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN WITH BLUE CHEESE & PECANS image

Categories Chicken

Yield 4 generous

Number Of Ingredients 13

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and Pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles (suggest less)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)
2 scallions sliced on bias (or substitute red onion)
4 slices center cut bacon
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 T dijon mustard
Toothpicks

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butterfly the chicken breasts by cutting across but not all the way through. Open breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season meat with salt and pepper. Cover the breasts with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside with salt and pepper if desired. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes or until browned well. Transfer to small baking sheet, place in oven and cook 10 minutes more (I cooked 20-30 minutes and upped heat to 400 degrees the last 10 minutes or so -- until chicken was cooked through. Depends on thickness of breasts). Melt butter in same skillet that chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and mustard, season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to warm. (makes a lot of sauce. may want to cut sauce recipe in half) Halve chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top. Serve with rice and greens if desired.