How To Make The Best Bacon & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast In Massachusetts
December 9, 2024
Cambridge, VA: My daughter recently asked me when did I realize I married the wrong person. Here is the quick background. I divorced her biological father decades ago. My current husband has been the only father she’s known.
I didn’t know how to answer her question. The divorce was death by a thousand cuts. So I started rambling. Here is what I told her.
It was like that old Robin Williams quote. “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.” When my first husband was around, I never felt so alone.
One day I came home from the ER. I was diagnosed with a severe autoimmune disease. As soon as I got in the house he was getting ready to leave. I asked him where he was going. He told me “ The bar with the boys. I need a break. Feed the kids dinner. I am running late.”
He hurt me so many times but here is one that still stings. We were in the bathroom getting ready for my sister’s wedding. At that time I had lost a lot of weight. I was in the best shape of my life. My dress was gorgeous. I looked in the mirror and for the first time in forever, I felt beautiful. As he was finishing his hair, I told him how handsome he looked. I waited for him to say something nice to me and he didn’t. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I could not remember the last time he told me I looked good. So I opened my mouth and made the mistake of asking this question:
“Do You Even Find Me Attractive?”
He flatly said “No.” I never felt so ugly. It hurt even more because just seconds before that, I was feeling so good about myself.
The next day I realized that I had become a smaller version of myself. I realized how many times I was hiding good news from him. I knew deep down that I was afraid to tell him good news because he’d find a way to make me feel bad about it. Then I realized, if we weren’t married, I would not be this man’s friend.
So I Left His Sorry A**
As I told my daughter these stories, we both cried and laughed. If you’ve ever experienced anything like this, my heart goes out to you girl. It’s something people can’t understand unless they experience it. Here is the recipe I made for my daughter that night. It’s one of her favorites and I hope you enjoy it too.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Bald Buck Seasoning (Use Bold Taste For Non-Spicy or Use Slow Burn For Spicy)
- Ground Pepper
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 c. frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, and squeezed
- 1/3 c. chopped canned artichoke hearts
- 1 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
- 4 strips bacon, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Make slits widthwise in the chicken, but don’t cut all the way through your chicken.
- Bald Buck seasoning is your secret here. It acts as your salt. Season Bald Buck and black pepper to taste. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, spinach, artichokes, and ½ cup of mozzarella. Season with more Bald Buck and pepper. Remember Bald Buck is your salt so act accordingly. Fill every other slit with cream cheese mixture and fill the remaining slits with a piece of bacon. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top and drizzle with oil.
- Bake until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crispy, usually takes about 35 minutes or so.
Pro Tips
- Don’t just drain your spinach. Squeeze it! You want to get as much water out as possible because excess water will take flavor away from your dish
- For convenience, you can prepare the stuffing up to 3 days ahead of time. Just be sure to refrigerate it.
- Bald Buck is key here. BBQ Pitmasters use it for their meat but I learned it makes for one hell of a seasoned salt. Try it in this dish but more importantly, experiment with it as the salt in your other dishes. It adds this unique flavor that is amazing but nobody will be able to put their finger on what that flavor is. There are reviews about it on YouTube but below is the best video about it.