Cream Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Chicken (Gluten Free)

Serves 4 | Prep time: 20 min | Cooking time: 45 min

4 large chicken breast

1/2 lb bacon

8 oz of chive and onion cream cheese

1 C shredded mild cheddar

4 TBS unsalted butter

1 small can chopped green chiles

1/2 C chopped peanuts

pinch salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut bacon into 1 in. pieces and place in large skillet on medium high heat. Stir occasionally until fully cooked through. When finished, set aside to cool.

While bacon is cooking, mix  cream cheese and shredded cheddar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put your chicken breast on a chopping board and, with your hand flat on top of it, use a sharp knife to slice into one side of the breast, starting at the thicker end and ending at the thin point. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the other side. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

Take a heaping spoonful of cream cheese mixture and spread evenly along the bottom of the pocket in each chicken breast. You should use roughly half of the mixture by the time you finish the last piece.

Once bacon has cooled enough to touch without burning your hand, layer on top of cream cheese inside of the pocket.

Use remainder of cream cheese mixture to spread an additional layer on top of bacon.

Pull the top part of the chicken breast forward to close the pocket, securing with toothpicks.

Place chicken breasts on prepared cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in microwave using 30 second increments. Brush half of the butter over the chicken breasts.

Bake chicken at 350° for 30 minutes.

While chicken is baking, chop peanuts.

Add green chiles and half of the peanuts to remainder of melted butter and stir

.

When chicken is done baking, remove from oven and top with green chile mixture.

Sprinkle the last of the peanuts over the green chile mixture.

Bake chicken at 350° for additional 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.