Thursday, November 01, 2007

Simple roasted potatoes to go with stuffed chicken breasts...

We love simple roasted potatoes, especially those made with small red or fingerling potatoes, so when I was at the market and spotted a bag containing a variety of red, fingerling and purple potatoes, I knew I had to make these Spicy Roasted Potato Wedges for our side dish tonight.

There really isn't much to this type of recipe and that is what makes it so appealing and delicious. The potato wedges are drizzled and tossed with olive oil so the seasonings stick and to help crisp up their outsides. These wedges are not seasoned with anything fussy or exotic - just oregano, salt, paprika and a dash of crushed red pepper for a spicy kick. When the potatoes are golden on the outside, yet still moist on the inside, they are given an added boost with a salty shower of fresh grated Parmesan cheese. The potatoes continue to bake for just another minute or two until the cheese melts onto the wedges.

Spicy Roasted Potato WedgesNow, I think we could have been completely satisfied with a big ol' plate of those potato wedges, but I figured would should probably have something a little more substantial along with them. Chicken is certainly a protein we have quite a lot of, so I'm constantly on the watch for new ways to prepare it a little different. We tried some herbed goat cheese from Trader Joe's that we liked awhile ago - I've been waiting until we made a trip back so we could pick it up and make these Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese.

To pep up the goat cheese a bit, it is mixed with a whole head of mild and sweet roasted garlic. Be sure to note that it does take about an hour or so for the garlic to roast, so you might want to think about doing that ahead of time if needed. Stuffing the chicken is not too tough - the meat is slit down on one side and then you want to gently push the knife into the breast meat just enough so you can form a pocket inside. The chicken is started on the stove to get a good sear on one side, then the whole skillet goes into the oven to finish cooking all the way through. While we both enjoyed the bit of tang from the goat cheese, the herbs and garlic in the cheese made this dish. You could even stuff these a day or so ahead of time if you won't have time to do the assembly beforehand - this way you could have more time working on a side of your choice (I would love to try this with some creamy polenta under the chicken) or hang out with your family/guests!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese

6 comments:

  1. I love those fingerling potatoes. They're quite expensive here, though. You can't go wrong with chicken and potatoes.

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  2. Joey ~ Like you and Jeff, Eric and I also enjoy oven-baked wedges alongside a protein. They're great because they take no effort, except to keep an eye on them so they don't burn. We often strip sprigs of rosemary and toss the leaves in olive and then add whatever salt we're in the mood for...A side-dish that is more like a hug than food.

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  3. Simple is always better. I just love roast potatoes.

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  4. Love roasted potatoes with just about anything! I like how these have a bit of a kick. As for the chicken breasts, I've never thought to stuff chicken breasts!

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  5. I can smell the chicken and potatoes in my house. I may try the chicken.

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  6. Emilie - We found them for a good deal at Trader Joe's, but yes they can be expensive!

    Shaun - Rosemary is an excellent addition!

    Cynthia - So true!

    Hillary - Look for another stuffed chicken breast next week!

    Helene - Do try it!

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