Stuffed with a delicious spinach and ricotta filling and then wrapped in bacon for extra flavor, these perfectly baked, moist and succulent chicken breasts are simply mouth-wateringly good!
4large chicken breast halves,skinless and boneless
12slicesbacon
3clovesgarlic,crushed but left unpeeled
1cupwhite wine
½cupheavy or double cream
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
In a large pan, cook the spinach leaves with a tablespoon of water until wilted. Drain well and let cool. Mix well with the Ricotta cheese. Season the mixture with a little salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Make a horizontal slit through each chicken breast without cutting all the way through. To flatten the chicken, place each breast cut side up in between 2 sheets of wax paper or cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the meat by pounding it gently yet firmly with either a kitchen or meat-pounding mallet or a rolling pin.
Divide the spinach mixture into 4 (for each chicken breast) and then spread it on one side of the chicken. Roll-up the breast to enclose it.
Wrap each roll in 3 bacon slices. Place in a roasting pan together with the garlic cloves and then bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through.
Lift the chicken pieces out of the pan and transfer them to a serving dish. Discard the garlic cloves.
If your roasting pan is stove-top safe, then pour in the wine and let it boil on top of the stove until reduced to about half. If not, just transfer whatever left-over drippings you have to a saucepan and then pour in the wine and cook until reduced.
Add the heavy cream, adjust the amount to your taste preference and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper (and even a pinch of nutmeg), to taste. Serve the chicken sliced, with the white wine sauce drizzled over it. Enjoy!
Notes
TIPS & TRICKSDon't have or don't like ricotta cheese? In a pinch, it may be replaced with another similar type of cheese like cottage, goat or even cream cheese.