Gorgonzola Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

My apologies for my lack of blogging, the past two weeks have been very busy, but I promise I have a few entries up my sleeve!

This is a really great month for Gourmet magazine. Not only did they have the delicious Gorgonzola Chicken that I made last night, but there's a Pumpkin Cheese "Fondue" that I'll be trying for the next installment of pumpkin month. I had some green beans and potatoes around, so I decided to jazz up some standard sides, which paired well with the gorgonzola.

Gorgonzola Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1/4 pound chilled Gorgonzola dolce, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Pat chicken dry, then cut a deep 3-inch-long pocket horizontally in long curved side of each chicken breast half. Fill each pocket with one quarter of cheese. Season chicken all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn breasts over, then place skillet in oven and bake until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Return skillet to burner (handle will be very hot) and add water and vinegar. Boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits and melted cheese, until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup, then skim off excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce.

Green Beans with Red Onion and Bacon
4 strips bacon
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in skillet for about 5 minutes. Add red onion and cook additional 3-4 minutes. While the mixture simmers, cook green beans. Mine happened to be in a microwavable bag, so I cooked them at full power for 3 minutes. Add green beans to skillet and toss with bacon and onions. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
3 pounds potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons milk, warmed
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place in boiling water and cook until soft. While potatoes are cooking, heat a small skillet over medium heat and warm olive oil. Smash garlic cloves and mince and simmer in oil for 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain potatoes well and return to warm pot. Mash and add butter and milk and combine. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Enjoy!



Question: What's your favorite thing to add to mashed potatoes?