Ricotta Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Cookbook author and founder of the Mozzarella Company, Paula Lambert, stops by Good Day to make cheesy chicken breasts. She stuffs them with ricotta and goat cheese and bakes them with fig conserve.

Ricotta Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Fig Conserve

1 cup (8 ounces) well-drained Ricotta
1 cup (8 ounces) fresh Goat Cheese
1 egg
¾ teaspoon salt, divided use
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 split skinless and boneless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds total)
6 thin slices (3 ounces) prosciutto
6 large leaves fresh sage, torn in half vertically
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fig Conserve
½ cup fig preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped black olives or black olive tapenade
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Preheat the oven to 400º F and grease a small baking pan with olive oil.

In the workbowl of a food processor combine the Ricotta, Goat Cheese, egg, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Process until smooth.

Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board, butterfly the thickest part of the breast by slicing from the inside to the outside edge of the chicken, folding the butterflied piece outwards, and then flatten each breast with a meat pounder. Season lightly with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto atop each breast.  Place the sage leaves on the prosciutto. Divide the Ricotta-Goat Cheese mixture into six portions and place one on top of each chicken breast. Spread the Ricotta mixture out over the prosciutto using a knife. Fold the edges of the chicken up to form a packet and secure with a piece of kitchen twine, as if you were wrapping a package.  Drizzle the olive oil onto the chicken breasts and rub to coat the surface completely, and then sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place in a small roasting pan. The pieces of chicken should not touch one and other. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and baste the chicken with the pan juices.

LINK: www.mozzco.com