Picture Credit:  BBC Good Food

As it is Saturday and in the current situation you may have more time than normal I thought you would like a new recipe to try.  This is a huge favourite in my home.

I forgot to take a picture of it when I cooked it the last time, so the above picture is from BBC Good Food which is similar but slightly different to mine!!!! 

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Cheese stuffed Chicken wrapped in Bacon & White Sauce.

Ingredients:

Four chicken breasts, eight slices of back bacon, four portions of cheese to fit the chicken, one onion diced, 1 tbsp of Olive Oil, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 tbsp plain flour, 1/2 pint of milk.

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1.  Dice the onion and put into a pan with the olive oil and fry until soft.  Then put the chicken stock cube into the pan and let it disolve with the heat of the oil and onions over a low heat.

2.  Next put the flour into the pan to soak up the juices and cook slowly for a couple of minutes.  Then pour in the milk and stir until thickened, if it is too thick add a little more milk.  Simmer the sauce for five minutes and add some salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Prepare the chicken and then cut the cheese.  Now DH likes Blue cheese like Stilton but the Boys prefer Red Leicester cheese or you can use any hard cheese you like.  Slice a wedge off and put it on the underside of the breast.  Then wrap a piece of bacon around the breast at the front lengthways and wrap another piece of bacon across the breast whilst holding the cheese in.  Place the chicken in an oven proof dish next to each other.

4.  Taste the sauce to see if you need to add any more seasoning and then pour it over the chicken.  Cover the dish with some foil and place in a hot oven (200°C) for an hour.  Take out of the oven and remove the foil and then put back in the oven for another 30 minutes (obviously you know your ovens and can adjust the timing).  Ensure that the chicken is cooked through (depends upon the size of the chicken breasts).  You will find that the cheese has melted into the sauce which can be spooned over the chicken when you serve.

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My lot like mashed potatoes, peas and leeks with this dinner!

If you like you could add mushrooms to the sauce (DH and I like mushrooms the Boys don’t!) and you could change the bacon for Prosciutto if you wish.  This is also a good recipe for dinner parties.

Have a lovely weekend, happy eating and stay safe.

Hugs, Susie xx

I have called these Christmas cookies but of course you can make them all year and use a different cutter for them!  The recipe is very simple and you can change the flavour of them too.  It makes approximately 30 depending upon the size.

Recipe

90g of soft butter, 100g caster sugar, 1 large egg, 200g plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.

Flavouring :  I used zest of a large orange and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  However this is where you can change the flavours to your liking.  I would have used more cinnamon but DH and the Boys don’t like it very much.  You could use vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) or the zest of a lemon or, if you like ginger a teaspoon of that.

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*  Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet or two with baking parchment.

*  Cream the butter and sugar together until whipped soft and pale, then eat in the egg, followed by the flavouring, the flour (and any zest if using) baking powder and salt and continue mixing until it all comes together to make a soft dough.

*  Form into two discs, wrap each one in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes.

*  Sprinkle a suitable surface with flour, place a disco of dough on it and sprinkle a little more flour on top.  Then roll it out to a thickness of about 5mm.

*  Cutinto shapes, dipping the cutter into flour as you go and place the cookies a little apart on the line baking sheets.  Kepp the scraps of the first disc, to mix with the scraps of the second and roll and cut, re-roll and cut until you have used up the mixture.  This is a pliable dough, which makes it very easy to work with.

*  Bake in the oven for 8 – 12 minutes depending upon the shape, how maby sheets are in the over at the same time and whether they are on an upper or lower shelf although you can swap them around and turn them to get an even bake.  When  they are ready they will be pale gold around the eges and softish still in the middle but will harden on cooling.

*  Take the sheets out of the over, remove the cookies with a flat spatula to a wire rack and leave to cool.

*  Decorate as you like.  I used some gold edible glitter which I brushed on with a clean un-used small paint brush or you could cover in some icing or sprinkles.  Or if you are feeling adventurous you could dip them in some melted chocolate!

I hope you enjoy these and the recipe will be on my Favourite Receipes page.

Have a Happy Saturday everyone

Hugs, Susie x