quick fix meal. [grilled chicken w. brie & balsamic sauce]

September 3rd, 2010 by | comments

I’m always searching for healthy and savory recipes on the Internet. My mom and brother stumbled upon Robin Miller’s grilled chicken with brie and baby spinach salad recipe a year ago and it has stayed at the front of our cookbooks since. This chicken dish offers salty (bacon/pancetta) and bitter (vinegar) components with various textures, from crunchy (bacon/pancetta) to silky (Brie cheese). What’s even better than the flavor of this entrée is its simplicity. The total preparation and cook time is only about twenty minutes.

I was debating on a light and simple chicken dish to make for my family the other night when I flipped to this recipe in my cookbook. I hadn’t made the dish in a while and figured it would suit all of our requests. As usual, the meal was delectable.

If you want to make this recipe even healthier, feel free to leave off the Brie cheese (or use less) and the bacon/pancetta. Cheese or no cheese, the sauce is what really makes this dish dazzle!

Recipe:

Cooking spray or olive oil, for pan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning (Mrs. Dash seasoning blend, garlic and herb)

4 to 8 slices Brie cheese, about 1/2-inch thick

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

2 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

4 slices bacon (or pancetta)

Directions:

Cook bacon or pancetta (in a little bit of olive oil) until crispy. I tore the large pieces of pancetta into thin lengthwise pieces then cooked.

Drizzle olive oil in pan or spray with cooking oil. Set pan over burner on medium-high heat to preheat.

Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and garlic and herb seasoning (Mrs. Dash). Add chicken to hot pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat. Place 1 to 2 slices of Brie on top of chicken and cover with foil or pan lid. Place back on stove until cheese is melted. Remove from heat once melted.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped shallots to the pan and saute. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the spinach and toss to coat, if desired. Place chicken breast on top of spinach then crumble bacon (or pancetta) on top of chicken.

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