Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Cut: Boneless chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 large pitted dates
1/3 cup (80 ml) roasted unsalted almonds
4 oz Blue cheese (100 grams)
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filet removed
6-8 slices thick cut bacon
Cotton kitchen string
1 Tbsp (15 ml) canola oil

Preparation

Chop dates and almonds.  Crumble Blue cheese into a bowl; add dates, almonds and pepper and mix well.

Put chicken breasts, rough side up, between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness.

Take half of the date mixture and lay it in the middle of one of the chicken breasts.

Place another chicken breast, rough side down, on top of the mixture so the widest part of the top chicken breast is over the narrowest part of the bottom breast.

Lay half of the bacon slices over top and sides of the chicken breasts.

Tie the chicken breasts together using the string.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, date mixture, and bacon.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown chicken breast roasts on all sides.  Transfer to a parchment covered baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165F (74C).

Transfer chicken breast roasts to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.  Slice each roast in half or in medallions. Each roast serves 2 people.

As seen on Great Tastes of Manitoba 2014/2015