Thursday 10 September 2009

Cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts & champ for Foodie Friday



It's Friday...................the weekend is almost here and what could be nicer to start the weekend off in style than an easy to cook dinner of chicken served with fresh vegetables.



I'll be adding this recipe to all the other glorious foodie treats over @
Foodie Friday graciously hosted as always by "Designs By Gollum".
Hop on over and
give your tastes buds a treat.

Cream cheese stuffed chicken, with champ & home grown green beans.

This has been one of our favourite dinners this summer, making the most of fresh produce from my potager and it has to be one of the easiest chicken recipes I’ve ever come across.


I saw British chef Aldo Zilli cook this, in a TV ad for Philadelphia cheese, earlier this year and since then I have made it probably once every couple of weeks tweaking as I went along.

Click here to watch him cook this dish on youtube.

All the combinations I’ve tried have been delicious even if I say so myself.


To serve 2 you will need:

2 skinless chicken breasts.
50 g Philadelphia Light with basil. (Philly isn’t available in France, so I use Boursin)
3 slices smoked pancetta, (you could use smoked streaky bacon or smoked parma ham instead)
Pre heat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6.

Place the chicken on a clean board, breast side down.

Open out the fillet and spread half the cream cheese over each piece. (I sometimes add a slice of Roquefort or fresh basil or thyme for extra piquancy)
Place the chicken breasts into a non stick baking dish & roast in the oven for 25to 30 minutes or until the pancetta is golden and the chicken is cooked through.

For the champ you will need:
125g/4oz spring (salad) onions, chopped, or 40g/1½oz chives, chopped
300ml/10fl oz milk
6-8 potatoes
salt and pepper
75g/3oz butter
Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked, then mash, if using onions, simmer these in the milk until soft.
Add the onions and their milk and the chives, if used, together with the milk which you have heated separately. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the butter melt over the finished dish.



If this is your first visit to Normandy Life be sure to read yesterday's Vintage Thingies Thursday post, there's a giveaway involved!

Bon Appétit
Maggie

9 comments:

  1. Morning

    I often cook chicken wrapped in parma ham which is a great dish. I was very surprised to see champ with it, which is an Irish dish.Instead of spring onions I have used leeks.Usually I have served it as a dish on its own with some crusty bread as s supper dish more like a soup. Jackie

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  2. Hi Jackie,
    Champ is one of those versatile side dishes that you can tweak depending on what you have in the garden or the fridge. My husband loves champ with everything & no he's not Irish!
    Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. I have a recipie that is a lot like yours so I know this is a fantastic meal.I am whoever surprized that in France you can not Philadelphia cheese? I buy mine here in Belgium in Carrefour and that is a French store.
    But with Boursin it will sure be as nice if not nicer then with Philly.

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  4. I make a very similar chicken dish! However, I would have to choose the Boursin. I have never heard of Champ - I will have to try it. Your blog is looking wonderful!

    We are getting ready for Camden - cannot wait!
    Carol

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  5. This dish looks and sounds so good. No wonder you serve it often. Thanks for sharing and teaching me what champ is:) Have a wonderful weekend!

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  6. Maggie, this sounds delicious. I'll wager it was better with the Boursin than it would have been with cream cheese. It's treat for the eye as well as the taste buds. I hope you are having a wonderful day.

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  7. What an interesting blog site!...something for every sense (well, perhaps not smell!)
    I enjoyed having a look at your past posts and at your book shelf - we've read the same books, I see.
    Lovely to visit - I'll be back.

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  8. Hi Maggie,

    Sounds like a good chicken recipe to try!
    Had not heard of champ either, am learning from all these blogs.

    Have a great day!

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  9. Oh, yum! I'd love to join you for dinner. Raining "cats and dogs" here today. Thankfully! Great afternoon for hopping around Blogville. Great post, Maggie. ~ Sarah

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