Contributed Recipe: Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Contributed by: MCB

I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes, which I stole from the totally marvelous Cooking Light magazine.

The chicken makes a great meal served with sides of orzo and wilted spinach. The filling smells *delicious* while cooking, and I've found it also works really well in portabello mushroom caps and on baked potatoes (for our vegetarian friends) - make a double batch and save some for later.

[PS: Saw your post on whole wheat pasta. I highly recommend Barilla Plus- it has some of the benefits of whole wheat, without that chewy cardboard-like texture.]

Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water

*Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; coverand let stand 30 minutes or until soft.
*Drain and finely chop.
*Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
*Add 1/3 cup shallots, sugar, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
*Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar.
*Combine chopped tomatoes, shallot mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. *Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket.
*Stuff about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket.
*Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
*Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat.
*Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
*Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm.
*Add broth, remaining shallots, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and thyme; bring to a boil.
*Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk.
*Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil.
*Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly.
*Serve sauce over chicken.

Happy cooking!