HASSELBACK CHICKEN

HASSELBACK CHICKEN
Splash of oil
Heaping 1 ½ cups (1 ¾ ounces or 50 grams) fresh spinach
50 grams ricotta cheese
2 chicken breasts
Heaped ⅛ cup (¾ ounce or 20 grams) cheddar cheese or mozzarella, grated
Paprika
Salt
Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 ºF (200 ºCelsius or Gas Mark 6).
In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and cook the spinach in it for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is slightly wilted.
Stir in the ricotta and cook for a further 30 to 60 seconds. Allow to cool.
Cut slits into the chicken breasts, about 1 centimeter (0.39 inches) apart and 75% of the way through the chicken. You don’t have to be too stressed about the depth of the cuts, so long as you don’t cut all the way through it!
Stuff all of the spinach and ricotta mixture into the cuts.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese generously on top. Generously sprinkle the paprika, adding color and flavor.
Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the juices are clear.

Photo and recipe posted by Melissa Ann Vermeulen