I cooked it this New Year's Eve for a bunch of dear friends of mine.
Friends whom I told dinner would be ready at 6:30.
Meanwhile, ask the clock moved on past 6:30, my husband commenced in entertained everyone. And probably gave away my secret.
I have terrible time management skills in the kitchen.
As in, dinner was served at 7:30.
The good news is, there were appetizers. And wine. Plenty to keep 8 hungry people satisfied while they waited.
And I do believe it was worth the wait.
Gooey, cheesy chicken that is crispy on the outside and filled with warm, savory and spicy pimento cheese on the inside. And bacon.
Which will elicit drools of delight!
Do not be afraid, this chicken takes approximately 20 minutes from prep to finish.
It was multiplying that task by 8 that got my time in the kitchen all woozy.
You can use store bought pimento cheese or make this from yesterday.
Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat with a 2'' pocket sliced through the thickest part
2 heaping tablespoons pimento cheese
2 tablespoons hot sauce
4 cooked slices of bacon, diced [optional]
Dash Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp EVOO
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix pimento cheese, hot sauce, and bacon in a small bowl. Stuff into pocket of chicken, inserting toothpicks to keep the seam closed as much as possible.
Season chicken breast with salt & pepper. In EVOO, sauté chicken breasts over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown and slightly crispy.
On a baking sheet (with sides), place chicken, and any excess cheese mixture that may have seeped out, and cook at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well." Psalm 139:14