Roasted Shrimp and Balsamic Spring Vegetables

Do you ever get that feeling that you have been eating too much bread, pasta, cheese, bacon, butter, and eggs? That was me last week. I satisfied my insatiable cravings all week with hardly a vegetable in sight. Falling behind on my dinner planning, the vegetables served at dinner time last week were ice-crusted frozen edamame and a sad looking tossed salad of romaine, mushy tomatoes, and sliced carrots. I needed to get back in the swing of planning meals for my family. Thanks to my husband's bum knee, I had plenty of uninterrupted time to plan a week's worth of new dinner recipes loaded with vegetables as I sat in the waiting room while he had knee surgery.

I came across a recipe for roasting spring vegetables that looked intriguing. I decided to roast seasoned shrimp right along with the red potatoes, carrots, asparagus and portebello mushrooms for a colorful and healthy dinner, and I would have only one pan to wash when dinner was done.

Roasted Shrimp and Balsamic Spring Vegetables is a one pan meal that completely cooks in the oven. The recipe is loaded with vegetables and has something for everyone to enjoy. Some friends dropped by with their 4 kids as well as an extra friend of My Oldest over for dinner and all were happily fed with this meal.

I served the Roasted Shrimp and Balsamic Spring Vegetables with a big pot of pasta, fresh marinara sauce, and grated Parmesan cheese allowing diners to design their own dinner. Some had pasta topped with the shrimp, roasted vegetables and marinara. Others ate the shrimp and roasted vegetables sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. And the really adventurous eaters had buttered noodles. Add a few bottles of wine for the adults and a couple pitchers of lemonade for the kids and all were very, very happy.

And my husband even did the dishes.


Roasted Shrimp and Balsamic Spring Vegetables

A versatile recipe that can feature different vegetables such as vidalia onions or radishes. Just make sure all the vegetables are cut in the same size chunks.

serves 5

olive oil
salt
pepper
6 red potatoes, cubed in bite-sized pieces
1 pound asparagus, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups quartered baby portebello mushrooms
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 pounds shrimp (21 - 25/pound) peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoons grill seasoning such as Penzey's BBQ of the Americas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

On a large, rimmed baking sheet, place red potatoes and toss with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once.

Remove sheet form oven and add asparagus and carrots and drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return sheet to oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and add the portebello mushrooms and drizzle all the vegetables with balsamic vinegar. Return baking sheet to oven and roast for 5 minutes.

Toss the shrimp with the grill seasonings and place on top of the roasted vegetables. Return pan to oven and roast an additional 5 - 7 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove pan from oven and serve in large bowls.


Thanks to everyone who left comments for The Great Beef Giveaway. The winners of The Healthy Beef Cookbook: Steaks, Salads, Stir-fry, and More - Over 130 Luscious Lean Beef Recipes for Every Occasion are Martha, Lori, and Angela. And the winner of the $100 American Express gift card was The Paskins. Please email me your addresses so I can send your prizes to you. Congratulations to all and thanks for participating in Beef Week.

The Great Beef Giveway

As the Beef Week comes to an end, it will go out with a bang.

The giveaway I promised earlier in the week is finally here. Four lucky readers will win prizes for leaving a comment to this post. Visit the Beef It's What's for Dinner website and comment on my blog about a recipe you want to try, a shopping tip that made you say "Wow!", or a lean beef nutritional benefit. Make sure to leave your email if your profile doesn't include one. It's that easy.

For the lucky winners, the prizes are....

Three readers will win a copy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook: Steaks, Salads, Stir-fry, and More - Over 130 Luscious Lean Beef Recipes for Every Occasion. It is loaded with over 120 recipes for grilling beef, entree salads, heart sandwiches, beef stews, soups, and chilis, one-dish beef favorites, and easy entertaining. Wouldn't you love to add this beautiful book to your cookbook collection?

A fourth reader will win a $100 American Express Gift Card for groceries to prepare some favorite lean beef recipes. A $100? Is she kidding? No she is not!!

What are you waiting for? Spend some time perusing the Beef It's What's for Dinner website. Leave me a comment. I know you are feeling lucky.

Deadline for entries is Friday, March 27th at 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen with the help of Random.org.

It's Beef Week -- Part 3 -- Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps

Today's post is the third in a series about lean beef meals I am preparing for my family using recipes from the Beef It's What's for Dinner website. As I perused the website for an entree to prepare, I was intrigued by a recipe for Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps. A family favorite at our house is Barbecued Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps so I thought another lettuce wrap entree would go over well.

I wrote down a grocery list and off to the grocery store I went without much thought as to how this new lettuce wrap recipe would go over with my family of taste testers. Beef top round steak was marinaded in a mixture of chopped dates, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, salt, and pepper. Some of the marinade is also set aside to use as a sauce in the lettuce wraps.



What I like most about Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps is that it is a self-contained meal; the lettuce leaf holds the whole meal in a tidy package. The grilled steak is sliced very thin and placed in a lettuce leaf topped with some of the reserved marinade/sauce and a lightly seasoned carrot and cucumber slaw.

I was slightly wary of my family's reaction to a steak marinaded in a date based sauce. I'm not even sure my kids would know what a date was if it hit them in the head. I did not tell them what ingredients were in the dish until after they all tried a lettuce wrap. Dinner success! We all agreed that we liked this new steak lettuce wrap with its lemony slaw, sweet and garlicky date sauce, and char grilled steak.

The dates seemed like an odd ingredient, but they were a delicious addition to the dish. Sign up for the to have new beef recipes delivered directly to your mailbox each week from the Beef It's What's for Dinner website. Experimenting with new foods and recipes can yield a family favorite meal.



Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps

from Beef It's What's for Dinner website Tunisian Steak Lettuce Wraps

1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound)
8 large lettuce leaves (such as leaf, Bibb or iceberg)
Finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Date Marinade and Sauce:
2/3 cup pitted dates
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Slaw:
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrots
1/2 cup julienne-cut hothouse cucumber
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place Date Marinade and Sauce ingredients in food processor container. Cover; process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1/2 cup for spread. Place beef steak and remaining marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

Combine Slaw ingredients in medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 8 to 9 minutes for medium rare, turning occasionally. (Do not overcook.)

Carve steak into very thin slices. Spread 1 tablespoon reserved Date Sauce on each lettuce leaf. Top evenly with steak slices and slaw. Sprinkle with mint, as desired. Roll up.

Nutrition information per serving: 364 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 61 mg cholesterol; 413 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrate; 3.1 g fiber; 29 g protein; 5.3 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcg vitamin B12; 3.0 mg iron; 31.6 mcg selenium; 4.9 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc; and a good source of fiber and iron.

Check back in the next couple days for a BIG giveaway. You'll be sorry if you don't.

It's Beef Week -- Part 2 -- Beef Kebobs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

Today's post is the second in a series about lean beef meals I am preparing for my family with help from the Beef It's What's for Dinner website. I typically purchase the same cuts of beef each grocery shopping trip. After spending some time on the website, I discovered a few new lean cuts of beef for my family to try. Armed with my next beef recipe, my shopping list, and a copy of the Lean Beef Wallet card, I headed to the grocery store. Here are a few handy hints from the website to follow on your next shopping trip for beef:

Make the refrigerated meat case your last stop to ensure that beef stays cold as long as possible until you get home.

Choose packages that are cold, tightly and completely wrapped with no tears or punctures.

Be sure the packages do not contain excessive liquid – this can be an indication of problems with temperature or storage.

For vacuum-packaged beef, be sure that the seal has not been broken and that the package is not leaking.

Choose beef with a bright cherry-red color, without any grayish or brown blotches.

A darker purplish-red color is typical of vacuum-packaged beef. Once exposed to oxygen, beef will turn from a darker red to bright red.

Choose steaks and roasts that are firm to the touch, not soft.

Don’t forget to check the “sell by” date printed on the package label. If you can’t read it or it’s not there, select a different package of beef.

Back from shopping, I prepared Beef Kebobs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce which is a quick dinner that would also make a tasty appetizer. A dry rub of pepper (I decreased the amount of pepper in the recipe to 1 teaspoon), salt, paprika and minced garlic is tossed with the beef cubes and threaded on skewers before being grilled or broiled. The red pepper sauce enhances the flavor of the grilled sirloin and is more unique than barbecue sauce or ketchup.


The sauce ingredients involve some chopping and simmering. I slightly changed the sauce recipe from the one listed on the website in that I blended the cooked sauce with an immersion blender to make it less chunky and easier for dipping.

Making dinner time unique and fun is one way to have kids try new foods. This recipe has a high fun quotient with the steak served on a skewer. Who doesn't like to eat food on a stick? Kids also love sauces for dipping and this recipe has a new one for them to try.

There was a pleasantly surprising spicy bite from the rub on the beef cubes, but the red pepper sauce cooled the heat. I can see serving the sauce as a bruschetta topping or tossed with hot pasta and fresh basil also. My family gave the recipe a thumbs up, and I will be adding it to my summer barbecuing rotation.


Beef Kebobs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

adapted from Beef Kebobs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

serves 6

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
1 teaspoons coarse grind black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced

Dipping Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jars (7 ounces each) roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 cup ready-to-serve beef broth (I subbed 1 tsp. beef bouillon in 1 cup water)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and 3 cloves garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender.

Add red peppers, wine, tomato paste and thyme, stirring until tomato paste is blended. Combine broth and cornstarch in small bowl, mixing until smooth. Stir into pepper mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.

Meanwhile cut beef steak into 1-inch pieces. Combine pepper, salt, paprika and garlic in large bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Thread beef pieces evenly onto six skewers, leaving small space between pieces.

Place kabobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, about 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare to medium, turning once. Serve with dipping sauce.

Nutrition information per serving: 235 calories; 28 g protein; 8 g carbohydrate; 9 g fat; 689 mg sodium; 76 mg cholesterol; 4.3 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 2.5 mcg vitamin B12; 3.9 mg iron; 5.7 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron and zinc.

It's Beef Week at Dinners for a Year -- Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce

I love beef. From a thick, juicy burger on the grill to a quick meal of beef and broccoli stir fry, a dinner including beef is very satisfying. I have teamed up with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to post some lean beef recipes from their Beef It's What's for Dinner website and will blog about my family's Week of Beef.

Typically, beef has gotten a bad rap as far as being a healthy choice for dinner. Common complaints include:

"It contains too much fat."

"I can feel my arteries clogging already."

"I don't want to eat all those calories."

Actually, beef contributes to good health by providing many important nutrients. Today, beef is leaner than ever before. It fits within the guidelines for a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat. There are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean. Included on the list are many familiar cuts including flank steak, sirloin steak, and ground beef.

The first recipe I prepared for dinner this week was Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce. I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is that beef tenderloin is too expensive for a weeknight meal. My local grocery store regularly has beef tenderloin on sale, and I picked up just over a 4 pound tenderloin for about $25. I will be able to prepare at least 2 dinners my family of 5 and a few lunches for my husband from this sized beef tenderloin.

Beef tenderloin, either whole or cut in steaks, is a quick meal to prepare. Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce takes less than a half hour to prepare. With about 250 calories per serving and 3 grams of saturated fat, this recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, and zinc and a good source of iron. We also had sweet potatoes mashed with a little brown sugar and blasted garlic broccoli for dinner to add a couple servings of vegetables loaded vitamins K, C, and A as well as folate and fiber.

The sauce was the first part of the recipe to prepare. It came together very quickly with most ingredients already in my pantry.

As the sauce reduced, I prepped the steaks with a few grinds of pepper and grilled them them for about 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare. With the sweet potatoes mashed and the blasted broccoli ready, dinner was served.

We are a family of beef lovers and beef tenderloin is high on our list of favorites. This recipe received our highest rating as one that we would want to have again.

"The steak is so tender," said My Middle One.

The sweet and slightly salty sauce was delicious drizzled over the steaks.

"This steak is so good, I could just eat the steaks without the sauce," said my husband.

Then he proceeded to pour more of the thick, rich sauce over his steak.

The sauce added a smokey, sweet and slightly teriyaki flavor to the steaks that the rest of us agreed would be delicious on other cuts of beef. I will be making the Bourbon-Espresso sauce in the future. My only change to the recipe will be to double the recipe so I can store some in my refrigerator.

This recipe is one to get the family back to the dinner table. No need to take the family to a steakhouse. This recipe brings steakhouse quality and flavor right to your table.

Tenderloin Steaks with Espresso-Bourbon Sauce

from the website Beef It's What's for Dinner

4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 4 ounces each)
2 to 4 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper

Espresso-Bourbon Sauce:
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all sauce ingredients, except pepper, in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 12 to 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile press coarsely cracked pepper on both sides of beef steak. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes for medium rare, turning once.

Evenly divide sauce onto 4 plates. Place steak on top of sauce.

Alternately, the steaks can be broiled for 13 - 16 minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning once.


Stayed tuned for 2 more lean beef recipes followed by a BIG giveaway at the end of the week.

Dark Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars



Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

All is right in the world when there are homemade cookies and milk. If those cookies include chocolate, have barely undercooked centers, and the edges are slightly crispy, you are reaching snack time nirvana.

Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bars meet all of my perfect cookie requirements. The bars cut from the middle of the pan stay chewy while the ones around the edge of the pan have a buttery, crunchy crust. The only problem with these treats is that they disappear too quickly.

Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Invert pan on a cutting board, remove parchment and cut into bars.

My Carnitas Recipe or Wow! Did You See the Size of Your Mom's Butt?

I am still searching northern New Jersey for authentic Mexican food. Looking for an Italian restaurant? There is one on every street corner. Craving a Dunkin Donuts latte? There is one next to the Italian restaurant on every street corner.

During our stint in Southern California, we were spoiled with all the Mexican restaurants. One frequent stop for our family was Sagebrush Cantina. The food was good, but not great Mexican. The attraction was that my 3 toddler kids and I could show up about 5 p.m. and get a table outside with chips and salsa and a margarita (on the rocks with salt please) and my husband would stop by after work. Before you call child welfare services, I will clarify that the margarita was for The Mom. The kids drank lemonade.

Craving some Mexican food, I decided on Carnitas for dinner. The slow cooked pork is shredded or cubed and crisped up in a hot oven. It is delicious in tacos, burritos, quesedillas, or just about any Mexican entree you want to put it in. Most recipes call for a slow cook in a dutch oven. Not in the mood to stick around while my Carnitas cooked, I opted for a crock pot method.

Slow cooking of the pork began early in the morning. Into the crock pot went a pork butt seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper, a bottle of beer, a couple sliced onions, some cubenelle peppers, whole garlic cloves, and a sliced orange for the 9 hour cooking time.

As my son descended the stairs to the kitchen at about 7 in the morning, he was greeted by my husband exclaiming, "Wow! Did you see the size of your Mom's butt?"

With a curious and slightly disgusted look on his face he replied, "Uh, no."

"I mean the pork butt your Mom just put in the crock pot," my husband clarified.

Still with a grossed out look on his face, he said, "No Dad. I haven't seen Mom's butt."

After some online research, I discovered that pork butt is not actually the butt of a pig. It is part of the shoulder. But isn't it more fun to say pork butt than pork shoulder?

The pork butt spent the day in the crock pot. It really is not a pretty sight.


It is removed from the pot cooled slightly, shredded and put on a large baking sheet with the peppers and onions. A couple cups of the cooking liquid were drizzled over the top followed by 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. The resulting pork was both crispy and melt-in-your-mouth good.



The Carnitas was served with fresh salsa, black beans spiked with cumin, salt, and freshly ground pepper, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salsa verde, and warmed flour tortillas.



An added benefit of making a 7 pound pork butt for Carnitas is that there are bound to be leftovers. Is it almost lunch time?

Carnitas
1 (6 to 7 pound) bone-in pork butt or shoulder
salt
pepper
cumin
2 medium onions, sliced
3 cubenelle peppers, sliced in long strips
1 orange, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bottle of beer

for serving --
flour tortillas wrapped in foil and warmed in oven
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
black beans
fresh salsa
salsa verde

Generously sprinkle the pork with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place the onions in the bottom of the crock pot and top with pork. Add the peppers, orange slices, garlic cloves, and the beer. Set the crock pot to low and cook for about 9 - 10 hours or until the pork shreds easily.

After the cooking time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pork from pot and cool slightly before shredding in bite-sized pieces. Discard any fat and bones. Place pork on a large rimmed baking sheet along the the peppers and onions from the pot. Pour about 2 cups of the cooking liquid over the pork and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. Some of the pork should be browned and crispy while some is juicy and tender.

Remove from oven and serve with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, black beans, and salsas.

Pomegranate Coke

When you are a food blogger, companies want to send you their products to promote on your blog. The marketers for these companies are smart people. Who doesn't want something for nothing? While most mailboxes these days collect dust, junk mail or the statement for your dwindling retirement account, a few freebies packaged in a cardboard box are a welcome site.

A couple weeks ago, I received 8 mini bottles of POM WONDERFUL juice. The first reaction of my household was how cute the 8 ounce bottles were. No Thank You Boy was amazed that I received the juice for free.

"You mean they just sent it to you for nothing?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes they did," I replied.

The bottles sat on a shelf in the garage for a week or so. I really didn't give them much thought. I drank one mixed with seltzer water one day and the remaining 7 bottles still sat there.

Then The Husband found the bottles. He grabbed a Coke and a bottle of POM WONDERFUL juice and poured them over ice.

"Wonderful!!" he exclaimed. "This is better than a Cherry Coke."

And voila. And new drink sensation was born. I reserve the rights to this new drink combination. I can see it now. I'm going to be a millionaire.

And here I am writing on my blog about those little, free bottles of POM WONDERFUL juice I received in the mail. I even provided 3 links directly to the company's site.

I told you those marketing people were smart.

Peanut Butter Bread

I like being home alone in the morning. Still in my fuzzy pink robe, the only sound is the occasional barking of Shadow and Trixie as kids pass our house on the way to the bus stop.

Some mornings are filled with hustle and bustle. There is showering (the last one probably is without hot water), lunch making, feeding 2 hungry dogs after persistent nudging by cold noses, and waiting for the perfect pair of jeans du jour to finish drying in the dryer. The result is an exit of the 5 of us as we head to school and work.

On the mornings of my days off from personal cheffing, I savor a cup of hot coffee with a smidgen of sugar and a splash of of half and half with a freshly baked muffin, slice of quick bread, or chunk of coffee cake while reading the daily newspaper. I read it cover to cover. Stories about the lost dog found 50 miles away, the latest restaurant review that I tear out and put in my "Must Try" pile, the horoscopes, the trade between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, and the impending rise in gas prices. I love the newspaper. It will be a sad, sad day for me when the inevitable happens and newspapers are only online.

I am partial to sweets that are on the less sweet side. Peanut Butter Bread is just the not-so-sweet sweet for me. Lightly toasted and slathered with butter, my 15 minutes of morning quiet makes me happy.

My morning time seems like an indulgence in our busy world. But who doesn't need a little break every once and a while.


Peanut Butter Bread

makes 1 loaf

To add piazza to your bread, top with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips before baking.

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add eggs and milk and mix well.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the peanut butter mixture. Beat well.

Bake for 50 - 55 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before unmolding.

Roasted Bacon and Parmesan Stuffed Chicken

Winner winner chicken dinner.

With chicken making an appearance at our dinner table about twice a week, I am always trying to serve it in different ways. I never really have a taste for chicken. It is not one of those foods that I crave. That is unless it is a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken with biscuits and mashed potatoes topped with peppery gravy.

I have been experimenting with chicken on the bone lately because when roasted, it yields a much juicier piece of meat than boneless, skinless chicken breasts. With the right ingredients and preparation, roasting a bone-in chicken breast with the skin is an easy dinner time entree that can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. Roasted Bacon and Parmesan Stuffed Chicken results in chicken with extra crunchy skin and a flavorful topping of crisp bacon, sharp Parmesan cheese, and a slight hint of a traditional bread stuffing flavor from the seasoned bread crumbs.

Armed with this simple recipe, you'll be sitting down to a delicious chicken dinner in less than an hour. Just don't let on to anyone how easy it was to prepare.

Roasted Bacon and Parmesan Stuffed Chicken

4 servings
4 bone-in with skin chicken breasts
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine bacon, cheeses, and bread crumbs. Gently loosen the bottom portion of the skin on each breast. Place about 1/4 of the cheese and crumb mixture under the skin. Place the chicken on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
.
Roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 35 - 45 minutes. Spoon pan drippings over the chicken and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.