Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese

 

You can stuff the chicken breasts up to a day ahead and refrigerate.

1 whole garlic head
1/3 cup (3 ounces) crumbled, herbed goat cheese (if you can't find goat cheese feta works, (too)
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves).
Wrap head in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp and cheese, stirring well; set aside.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 4 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken over. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees; let stand 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed chicken breast half)

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