December 29, 2015

Sun-dried Tomato & Ricotta Chicken Roulade

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade 1

Hi Friends!

How are we?  How was your Christmas?  Are you as impossibly full as I am!?

As expected the holidays were a gluttonous blur of food, booze, and gifts, so naturally I’m a bit sad to see them end.  But luckily we’ve still got NYE, I’m still on vacation, and I may or may not be eating lasagna in bed with a glass of red while I write this at 10:00am.

Merry Merry!

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade - All Ingredients 1

The thing about having an Italian family is that the amount of food you’re expected to eat over the holidays is borderline abusive.  Like, between my mom and my gma I was sent home with packages that could feed an entire Ecuadorian village, and that was just the food for Dave!  I’m talking mountains of lasagna, sausage and peppers, stuffed shells, veal parmigiana, sausages, meatballs, braciole, AND sausage bread.  Yes.. three separate sausage dishes!

Three!!

It’s total, utter, delicious insanity.

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade - Rolling Up 1

So after force feeding myself a year’s worth of Italian food, I’ve naturally decided to make yet another Italian dish, because rational decisions are totally my thing.  But while my brain may be reduced to a puddle of marinara, I’m 100% convinced this Sun-dried Tomato & Ricotta Chicken Roulade is the perfect date-night dinn for New Year’s Eve.

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade - Before Oven 1

I think we can all agree that New Year’s Eve is almost always a let down, and there’s no shortage of horrific evidence to prove it.  I mean, have you ever spent half of NYE freezing your bum off waiting for entry to some holier-than-thou club?  Or chugged 33 watered down cranberry vodkas and wondered when did getting drunk become so hard?  (PS- they’re $20 a pop!)  Or have you experienced the unique pleasure of fighting some drunk dude (or worse… some drunk chick) for a cab at 2:00am all while thinking this is NOT how you wanted to start the new year?

Yup… it’s happened.

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade 3

So since NYE tends to be a complete disaster, why not ditch all the hoopla and do what you actually want instead?  I’m talking chilling at home with your honey, whipping up some tasty eats, and drinking some real high-end champagne.  No fuss, no muss, no ruined sequined dress – Ya with me?

So this year, let’s ditch the overpriced, overhyped, overdone shenanigans of NYE’s past and finally spend a New Year’s having some actual fun.  So hit up your liquor store and tee up the Netflix – I’ve got the delicious dinner your stay-at-home plans need.

Happy New Year, loves!  See ya in 2014 xx

Sundried Tomato & Ricotta Chicken Roulade

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Thinly Pounded Chicken Breast
  • 6 oz Sun-dried Tomatoes (Fresh, not in Oil)
  • 1/3 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 6 Fresh Basil Leaves
  • 2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsps Light Butter
  • 1 ½ tsps Basil
  • 1 ½ tsps Oregano
  • 1 tsp Crushed or Minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt & Coarse Black Peppercorn – approx.
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • Cooking Spray to grease
  • Toothpicks to secure

Directions:

  1. In food processor combine sun-dried tomatoes, EVOO, Water, 1 tsp Basil, 1 tsp Oregano, and ½ tsp garlic, pureeing until smooth.  Set aside.
  2. Generously season one side of chicken with salt & pepper, then flip over.  On unseasoned side, spread an even layer of sun-dried tomato paste, then sprinkle with ricotta and top with fresh basil.  Next, tightly roll up chicken and place in well greased baking dish, securing with toothpicks as needed.
  3. In small bowl combine room temperature butter and remaining ½ tsps Basil, Oregano, and Garlic.  Melt in microwave for ~15 seconds, then drizzle over tops of chicken.  Bake chicken at 400ºF for 35 minutes until an internal temp of 165ºF is reached.  Allow to cool slightly, then remove toothpicks before slicing to serve.

 

Sundried Tomato and Ricotta Chicken Roulade 2

FYI – this is healthy Italian food.  happy resolutions 🙂

 

posted by Christine in: Crowd Pleasers
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