Bacon And Basil Wrapped Chicken Breasts Recipes

BACON AND BASIL-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small saucepan of boiling water blanch basil 2 seconds and drain in a sieve. Rinse basil under cold water to stop cooking and pat dry on paper towels.
• Put 1 whole chicken breast, skinned side down, on a work surface and remove "tender" (fillet strip located on either side of where breast bone was) from each breast half, keeping rest of chicken breast intact. (There should be 2 tenders from each whole breast.)
• Put 2 tenders side by side and wrap 7 basil leaves around them to enclose them. Season remainder of whole breast with salt and pepper and put basil-wrapped tenders lengthwise down middle of 1 breast half. Fold other breast half over to enclose tenders.
• Beginning on underside at 1 end of breast, wrap bacon slices snugly but without stretching, 1 at a time, around breast in a continuous overlapping spiral from 1 end to the other. (You will need about 4 to 5 bacon slices for each breast.)
• Remove tenders from remaining 2 chicken breasts and stuff and wrap breasts in same manner. Sprinkle crushed peppercorns evenly over bacon wrappings.
• Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Sliding a metal spatula under wrapped chicken breasts to keep bacon intact, transfer 2 breasts, undersides down, to skillet. Cook chicken, turning it only after bacon on underside is golden, until bacon is golden and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate and cook remaining breast in same manner.
• Pour off fat from skillet and return all 3 chicken breasts to skillet. Roast chicken in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch and just cooked through. Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

BACON WRAPPED PESTO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Lay a chicken breast out flat, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Spread pesto sauce over the chicken breast, and roll the chicken breast in a slice of bacon, securing the roll with toothpicks. Lay the rolled chicken breast into a 9x9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Pour the vegetable oil over the chicken breasts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

BACON AND BASIL-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small saucepan of boiling water blanch basil 2 seconds and drain in a sieve.
• Rinse basil under cold water to stop cooking and pat dry on paper towels.
• Put 1 whole chicken breast, skinned side down, on a work surface and remove "tender" (fillet strip located on either side of where breast bone was) from each breast half, keeping rest of chicken breast intact.
• (There should be 2 tenders from each whole breast.).
• Put 2 tenders side by side and wrap 7 basil leaves around them to enclose them.
• Season remainder of whole breast with salt and pepper and put basil-wrapped tenders lengthwise down middle of 1 breast half.
• Fold other breast half over to enclose tenders.
• Beginning on underside at 1 end of breast, wrap bacon slices snugly but without stretching, 1 at a time, around breast in a continuous overlapping spiral from 1 end to the other. (You will need about 4 to 5 bacon slices for each breast.).
• Remove tenders from remaining 2 chicken breasts and stuff and wrap breasts in same manner.
• Sprinkle crushed peppercorns evenly over bacon wrappings.
• Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot.
• Sliding a metal spatula under wrapped chicken breasts to keep bacon intact, transfer 2 breasts, undersides down, to skillet.
• Cook chicken, turning it only after bacon on underside is golden, until bacon is golden and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes total.
• Transfer chicken as browned to a plate and cook remaining breasts in same manner.
• Pour off fat from skillet and return all 3 chicken breasts to skillet.
• Roast chicken in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch and just cooked through.
• Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.