the best thing that’s come out of my kitchen in a long while.

+ 4 chicken breasts
+ 8 oz herbed goat cheese or an herbed cream cheese
+ 1 jar roasted red pepers, sliced into strips
+ 2 eggs, lightly beaten
+ 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
+ 1 cup cream or half and half
+ 1/3 cup fresh parmesan, grated
+ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced and crushed
+ 2-3 shallots, minced and crushed
+ 4-5 Tbsp olive oil
+ 1-2 Tbsp butter
+ salt and pepper to taste

1. heat oven to 400 degrees

2. prepare chicken breasts by slicing horizontally almost all the way through, creating a pocket in the chicken. spread cheese and tuck red peppers into the pocket, and close.

3. heat 3-4 Tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. meanwhile, dip the chicken breasts in egg and coat evenly with breadcrumbs. add the chicken to the pan and cook about 4 minutes on each side, until the breadcrumbs are nicely browned. transfer chicken to a glass baking dish and bake until chicken is fully cooked, 30-45 minutes.

4. meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1-2 Tbsp butter in another frying pan or sauce pan. add shallots and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. add remaining red peppers and stir until they are hot and coated in oil.

5. transfer the shallots, garlic and peppers to a blender or food processor. puree.

6. transfer the puree back to the same sauce pan. add cream or half and half and whisk until evenly blended. once the sauce is hot again, add paramsean and wisk until it has melted and blended into the sauce evenly. salt and pepper to taste. stirring occasionally, let the sauce reduce to the desired thickness, 5-10 minutes.

7. optional step: push the sauce through a strainer to get a smooth, even texture. or don’t, and enjoy the slightly pulpy texture of the red pepper puree.

8. plating: drizzle a small pool of sauce onto each dish and place a chicken breast in the center. top with a spoonful more sauce. serve with fresh string beans and some crusty bread.

for vegetarians, a tofu alternative isn’t really possible, but the sauce is so good i recommend making that and pouring it over, well, just about anything.