Cooking Light with Ina Garten: Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is one of those flavors that you either love or can't stand. I am a lover of goat cheese, so when I saw this recipe...it was without a question going to be the next recipe on my "to-try" list.


Goat cheese has a strong flavor, which means a little goes a long way. Since goat cheese doesn't come in a light or reduced-fat variety (at least that's the case in my market), I was able to stretch just 2 ounces of full-fat goat cheese by combining it with fat free cream cheese. This allows us to still hang on to the creamy, rich flavor of the goat cheese while shaving 80 grams of fat off the entire recipe!


To see Ina Garten's (AKA Barefoot Contessa) original recipe for Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese, click here.


CHICKEN WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:


4 (6-ounce)boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces FAT FREE PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
2 ounces herbed goat cheese
fresh basil leaves
Paula's House Seasoning (see bottom of page for recipe)


DIRECTIONS:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and goat cheese.

Place chicken on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. With a knife, cut a slit along the side; making a pocket for the stuffing. Evenly fill each of the chicken breasts with the cream cheese and goat cheese mixture. Cover mixture with one to two basil leaves and fold chicken over. Sprinkle each chicken breast with a pinch of house seasoning.

Bake for roughly 20 minutes; until cooked through. Serve immediately. ENJOY!


RESULTS:


We loved this dish. It is simple, yet elegant. In less than an hour, you can have a healthy meal that dresses up the boring baked chicken breast. I couldn't believe how much fat could be cut out by using a fat free cream cheese and goat cheese blend. Plus, choosing a boneless, skinless chicken breast will also provide major savings. That is about as lean as it gets when it comes to chicken.


For a side dish, I suggest oven-roasted asparagus with EVOO, a little minced onion and a pinch or two of house seasoning. At 375, they can be ready in the same amount of time as the chicken. How's that for an easy dinner?


I hope you enjoy this dish. It will be making a repeat appearance in our house, for sure!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving): 230.25 calories; 5.25g fat;  2.52g carbohydrate;  43.51g protein; .03g fiber