Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta

First, I should point out that this is not my recipe, although I did make some minor changes to it. It comes from AllRecipes.com, but it was so incredible I simply had to share it with you. As with all recipes that are not my own, the pictures are mine, taken in my kitchen.

One thing I wish I'd had was fresh Parmesan cheese, but I was out. It's not that this was bad using the stuff in a can, but fresh is ever so much better. I got lucky and had half a container of ricotta left from my Eggplant Lasagna, although I will definitely buy more just to make this recipe again. The spinach I planted in my garden didn't do well and I didn't have time to get to the farmer's market, so store-bought fresh spinach had to do.

What you can't see is the minced fresh garlic I added to the pan before adding the spinach, but it's there. One thing I've learned with fresh spinach is to saute it in batches, letting one bunch of fresh leaves wilt before adding the next. Otherwise, it never fits in the skillet, not even in my largest one.

Sauteed spinach, on the other hand, looks like a ridiculously tiny amount next to the fresh leaves it started as. When I made this recipe I halved it for two servings, so that's why it doesn't look like very much spinach. It's actually only 5 ounces.

Once the spinach is sauteed and cooled slightly, you mix it with the ricotta, Parmesan, and seasonings. Instead of regular Italian seasoning, I used Italian-Romano seasoning from Spice Merchants. Also, instead of garlic salt, salt and pepper, I used Olde Thompson's garlic-pepper blend (which also contains sea salt). It added a depth of flavour that made my taste buds happy.

Once the chicken is pounded flat (I didn't bother slicing it first, since the breasts I was using weren't that thick), you divide the spinach-cheese mixture between them. I had exactly enough, which actually disappointed me. I was hoping to have extra so I could eat it on crackers.

Folding the chicken around the filling was something of a challenge. Every time I got one end closed the other would fall open, causing the filling to fall out. I hate using toothpicks, though, because it leaves torn holes in the finished product, so I ended up winning by closing one end and wrapping it in bacon to hold it, then closing the other and doing the same. Since I was only making two, I used a 9x9 pan instead of a 9x13. It turns out I forgot about seasoning the outside of the rolls, but I can't say I missed it.

The bacon held them together quite well while they were baking, and virtually no filling escaped. I ended up having to bake them for a full hour before they were done, and in retrospect I should have finished them off with a few minutes under the broiler to crisp the bacon.

It's not that the bacon wasn't cooked, it's that it didn't look very crispy. For just our regular dinner it wasn't a big deal, but if I were making this for company (which I'm sure I will be at some point), I'd crisp it a bit more. Probably 3-4 minutes under the broiler should do just fine.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (10 ounce) bag washed fresh spinach

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

8 slices thick sliced bacon

Calories: 601

Cholesterol: 134 mg

Carbohydrate: 7.5 g

Fiber: 1.9 g

Fat: 43.2 g

Sodium 1175 mg

Protein: 44.5 g

Again, not my recipe. This comes from AllRecipes.com.

I served it with my Southern-Style Green Beans and Creamy Grape Salad