It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and my mind is wandering through my mental recipe files. Sleep….no, eat….just can’t stop seeing food combos. Counting chickens instead of sheep. What to make for our anniversary dinner this year? The weather’s great so grilling is perfect. An elegant chicken, not an everyday chicken is where I am going. Keep it light so we don’t feel stuffed on this romantic evening. Stuffed….that’s it! I’ll stuff a chicken breast and drizzle it with sauce.

All the chicken fantasizing in the middle of the night pays off big ‘cuz the husband says this is a real plate licker! Which he does, in a cute way, to show his full appreciation! He even thinks the sauce would be great on vanilla ice cream. hmm…would it? 

Mise en Place!

Chop the garlic and parsley. Place in a bowl and add the bread crumbs. Moisten the mixture with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

 Add the herb goat cheese and mix to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Create a “pocket” in the chicken breasts by slicing them length-wise, but not all of the way through.  This is not butterflied chicken; you’re just creating a large pocket to hold your goodies.

Stuff the pocket of each chicken breast with half of the stuffing per breast.  Press the sides of each chicken breast together to seal the pocket.

Meanwhile, while the chicken is chillin’, make your spicy orange sauce. Lick the spoon! Yum, another lick! Where’s the ice cream? 

Lightly oil the outside of the chicken breasts and sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Relaxing in the garden before grilling makes for tender, happy chicken!

Place the stuffed chicken breasts on the grill and grill direct for about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Rotate a 1/4 turn on each side before turning to make these gorgeous grill marks!

Slice the breast and fan out on the plate. Drizzle the spicy orange sauce over the breast. Serve with Pistachio Chive Brown Rice and extra sauce on the side.

Time to savor the gooey goat cheese deliciousness. Oh yeah, that sauce is a winner! Plate licking good for sure!