Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Jalapenos

 This is a delicious entree that is very hearty. It is simple to make as well. There are only five ingredients if you include the Tony Chachere’s you sprinkle over the top before you put it in the oven.

 

Recipe Ingredients

 All you need to get started is:

1. Package of boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2. Package of bacon
3. Jar of Jalapenos
4. Package of cream cheese

Fixing up the chicken is easy

Lay out the chicken breasts. For a more healthy portion I recommend using an electric knife and slicing the thick chicken breasts into two thinner pieces of breast each. This will also turn 3 servings into 6 more healthy servings. This is also a good idea if you are going to be serving a couple of additional side items or having salad (and/or dessert) with the meal.

 

Spread cream cheese on the chicken. I prefer to use diced jalapenos. That isn’t what I happened to have so I put the sliced jalapenos in a bowl and cut them up and then spooned them over the chicken. I think you get a better flavor using diced jalapenos and juice. Notice I don’t give exact measurements for the cream cheese and chicken. That’s because I didn’t get the recipe from anywhere. I just eyeball it. In fact, as you can see I hit it heavy because I don’t make it often and it is what I consider a delicious indulgence. You can go lighter and it will probably taste just as good and be twice as healthy. I know it will smell terrific.

Roll up the stuffed chicken and wrap it bacon

Roll up the stuffed chicken pieces. Use toothpicks to help hold it together as you find necessary. Wrap the delight in pieces of your favorite bacon. Sprinkle Tony Chachere’s on top. You can use ground pepper but Tony’s has the heat that complements the chicken without overpowering it with that black pepper flavor.  Bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. If you are doing a larger batch then bake for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Use your judgment. I just keep an eye on it.

Yummy!!

I wish you could scratch and sniff the monitor. Give this one a try. It’s very good!

Favorite Wine Selection

I just wanted to share my favorite wine. I don’t like sweet wines so if this particular gem hadn’t been shared with me I never would have tried it. It is a dry Riesling so it doesn’t taste anything like any of the other Rieslings I am familiar with. If you like dry whites I highly recommend this particular wine. It is great for entertaining because I have found it appeals to a lot of different palates.

 

It is produced by Villa Maria Estate at their Marlborough, New Zealand winery. I was a little worried when I moved to the Lake that I wouldn’t be able to get it here. But we have a Hy-vee and they have a wonderful wine selection. It is a great supermarket. I am so glad they opened here. It’s not the same as a Whole Foods Market but at least finally we have some decent organic food options and a vast fresh produce selection. I love cooking so it my favorite store here.

UPDATE:  I went grocery shopping today and Hyvee didn’t have my wine! I’m devastated. I am going to go talk to them about this! No bien!

UPDATE 2: Hyvee has the wine again but the price went up from $11.99 to $14.69 which I understand. It’s really good. Ah, supply and demand.

Updated 3: I live in Louisiana now and I have not seen my beloved win anywhere here. However, they do have sweet tea vodka which is interesting. But, of course, not the same at all.

Thanksgiving with N. Dynamite

Comfort Food

Corn Fritters

2 c. corn, (a 15 or 16 oz. can, drained, works fine)
1 well beaten egg
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Combine corn, egg, sugar, salt, pepper and butter. Add flour and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Drop batter from spoon into a little fat in frying pan. Brown both sides.

You can omit the fat by using a teflon (non-stick) frying pan. But they don’t taste as good. Obviously lard in a seasoned cast iron pan is best but no one cooks like that anymore. I usually make them using a little non-stick cooking spray on a seasoned cast iron griddle. 

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Spaghetti Sauce

1 qt. tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato sauce
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 fairly good size toes of garlic
1 tsp. basil leaves
Ground beef or meatballs

Mince one toe of garlic in tomatoes and cook until dry. Add water and continue cooking. Fry meat in grease until brown, when meat is done set aside. To the tomatoes add sauce and paste and keep simmering. Heat grease and mince another toe of garlic. Saute garlic toe and then add to tomatoe sauce. Add enough water to make sauce a little watery. Cook down sauce for a couple of hours. Add meat and cook about an hour. Meatballs take less (about a 1/2 hour).

These recipes were passed down by my grandmother. She used Del Monte canned corn for her fritters and Progresso brand tomato sauce and tomato paste in her spaghetti sauce.

Food For Thought

Our health begins, and often ends, with the food we eat.