Delicious Dish: Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Let me be the first to admit that I've never been a great cook. However, in order to assure my future mother-in-law that her little boy won't starve to death, I decided to teach myself how to cook. Now, I'm still not the best, but I'm slowly learning my way around the kitchen and adding more and more recipes to my repertoire. Here's one of my latest adventures - bacon and goat cheese stuffed chicken. You had my attention at bacon...you sealed the deal with goat cheese. This recipe is from the January/February 2011 issue of Cooking Light.

Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons green onions, diced
• 3 ounces goat cheese
• 1 slice bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
• salt & black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine onions, cheese, and bacon in a small bowl. Cut a 1-inch-wide slit into the thick end of each chicken breast, and carefully cut down to center of chicken to form a pocket. Divide cheese mixture evenly among pockets. Secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes. Turn chicken over and place skillet in oven and bake for 12 minutes; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Thoughts: This 5-ingredient dish was super easy to make and went over very well with my hungry, Midwestern boy. I paired it with horseradish, mashed potatoes and broccoli. We didn't have an oven proof skillet, so while I preheated the oven, I popped an aluminum foil pan in there. When I was finished searing the chicken on one side, I pulled the pan out, flipped the chicken into it, and poured the contents of the skillet over the top. We had to add about 7 minutes of cook time onto what the recipe says. I'll be enjoying the leftovers tonight! Can't wait to make this again soon.

What's In A Name?

I realize I don't blog that much and I'm vowing to get better about that. While I don't have a very interesting life, I have a very blessed one. I have a wonderful fiancé that works very hard and has been very understanding of my inability to find a job in this area doing anything other than waiting tables at Red Robin. I have very nice neighbors. I don't have much in common with them, seeing as they all have children and have been married for a while (and most are Navy families), but they're all very good people. I don't have any friends in the area outside of the neighborhood so the little things get me through. The little boy next door told his mom I was the coolest neighbor he's ever had and the little girl down the street told her mom she thought I was sweet and cool. And to be honest...that made my day.

To that point, this is not quite the life I had imagined. But when it gets down to it, its the life that God had planned for me. I may not understand it, but He has His reasons. I may not know where I'm going, but I believe in a God that does.

Now finally to the title of this post, "What's in a name?" My life in between just wasn't jumping off the page at me, so I've settled on a new name "Life as a Reiff...almost." (Obviously, I'll be dropping the almost in April). I'm going to continue blogging about trips and wedding planning, but I'm going to start blogging about my adjusting to military life, my adventures in the kitchen, and other goings on in our household. Hope you enjoy!

DJ Turn It Up!

After being unable to book my top two band choices, we settled on a DJ. When we met with him he mentioned knowing what Central people like, which made me nervous. I remember the music from my prom and it alternated between country music and rap...NOT HAPPENING! Thankfully he was on board with my providing a playlist of specific songs and genres to play, and a list of songs that he cannot, under any circumstances, play. This list basically includes ANY song that has its own dance. Now the tricky part...I had started a list, but my sweet, innocent, little puppy decided to snack on my flash drive containing all of my wedding stuff, including my playlist. Any suggestions on songs to play?