Recipe - Wrapped Chicken

We've all been good, right? Ever since January I've noticed a fair amount of people make pledges to keep to a healthy lifestyle and from what I've seen, every one's doing pretty good. However, why not indulge in a slightly indulgent meal? We'll call it 'Wrapped Chicken' for now, for ease - but you can search google or pinterest and just type 'Chicken stuffed with pesto and mozzarella, wrapped in bacon,' to find the other recipes that have come before mine. 

You will need;

1 Chicken breast per person - You could simply cut it a breast in half if you only want to indulge slightly... (I ALWAYS marinade my chicken before cooking, salt, pepper, and whatever herbs I'll be using, plus oil and lemon juice.)

1 Tsp of Pesto per breast - Or 2 if you prefer, this all goes by preference, of course.

4 Slices of Mozzarella - this is 2 per breast but you can simply halve this.

2 Slices of Bacon - Per breast, again you can half this or ignore it altogether, but this is binding the chicken together - so you'll need skewers instead (wooden or metal.)

Salt, Pepper, Basil - To taste, this again, is up to you. If you're like me, chuck some crushed garlic cloves into the pot with the chicken for added amazingness...

Pre-heat your oven to 200 C/Gas mark 6.

Regardless of whether you chose to marinade your chicken or not, take your chicken and slice a little pocket down one side making sure not to slice all the way through. Once you have created your pocket, add a teaspoon of pesto followed by one slice of Mozzarella. 

The next step is the messiest. If you've chosen bacon, take your two slices and lay them horizontally and overlap them by an inch, then gently lift your chicken concoction onto the slices and begin to wrap - before your nearly all bundled up you can add another slice of mozzarella and teaspoon of pesto, or just continue wrapping. If you're using skewers - simply pierce the skewers and 'sew' the pocket closed. 

(Don't be put off by the oil, I only use a small amount, it's just all the juices from the chicken. :)

Pop the breasts into the tray of your choice and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes - once cooked serve with your choice of sides, you could be naughty (chips/fries) or healthy (salad/quinoa.) The choice is yours! 

This would be a perfect recipe for a barbecue - not everyones a fan of burgers - but this is a nice alternative that can be prepared seperately for a few guests if they don't like red meat. Enjoy!

Peace!