Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Amazing, easy bacon wrapped chicken breast that’ll make you lick your plate. Chicken breast stuffed with pesto and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon, seared, and baked. This chicken dish is packed with lots of wonderful flavors.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
I hope your holidays have gone very well and you’re ready to take on the new year. As my first recipe of the year, I chose to share this awesometastic chicken dinner. This chicken dish was what I served for our Christmas dinner and I through it would be appropriate to share it now.
Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Chicken…check. Bacon…check. Homemade pesto…check. Lots of gooey cheese…check!

For our holiday dinner, I served it with broccoli/cauliflower casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, salad and rolls.

bacon wrapped chicken breast with cheese in a cast iron pan

HOW TO MAKE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN
Spoon pesto out of the jar and into a bowl. Slice cheese into thin slices and place and separate bacon pieces.

Lay the chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Carefully, slide the knife (hold it sideways with blade facing away from you) at the top (larger part) of the chicken breast in the center and cut a pocket in the middle. DO NOT slice all the way through the bottom or the sides of the chicken breast. Your ultimate goal is to create a pocket inside the breast with opening at the top. Repeat with all four breasts.

Using you hands, add about a tablespoon of pesto inside each chicken breast pocket. Stuff the chicken with 3-4 slices each. Make sure the cheese is even throughout the chicken pocket and season the chicken with salt. Close the opening on each chicken breast with a toothpick.

Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon, tucking the ends under one of the bacon rings.

Preheat oven to 350 and preheat a lightly greased cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Carefully place each chicken breast in the hot skillet. Sear chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Your goal is to sear the bacon, not to cook the chicken all the way.

Transfer the skillet into preheated oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed
Chicken breast stuffed with pesto and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon, seared, and baked.
Ingredients
7 chicken breasts
7 oz mozzarella cheese block
1/6 cup basil pesto
Salt
11 slices raw bacon
Instructions
Spoon pesto into a separate bowl and slice the cheese into thin slices. Separate bacon slices and place everything on a work station.
Lay the chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Carefully, slide the knife (hold it sideways with blade facing away from you) at the top (larger part) of the chicken breast in the center and cut a pocket in the middle. DO NOT slice all the way through the bottom or the sides of the chicken breast. Your ultimate goal is to create a pocket inside the breast with opening at the top. Repeat with all four breasts.
Using your hands, add about a tablespoon of pesto inside each chicken breast pocket.
Stuff the chicken with 5-6 slices of cheese each. Make sure the cheese is even throughout the chicken pocket. Close the opening of the chicken with a toothpick.
Salt each stuffed chicken breast.
Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon, tucking the ends under one of the bacon rings.
Make sure that your skillet is well seasoned and lightly greased. (If using an oven-safe cooking pan, you’ll want to use a couple of tablespoons of oil to grease the pan.)
Carefully place each chicken breast in the hot skillet. Sear chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Your goal is to sear the bacon, not to cook the chicken all the way.
(Carefully pour off most of the bacon grease.)
Transfer the skillet into pre-heated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
(Judge cooking time according to the size of the biggest thicken breast.)
Nutrition
Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 1110mg | Potassium: 1000mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 1.4mg