Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups pear nectar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped peeled pears
- 2 pears
- 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In heavy skillet, combine olive oil and butter over medium heat; cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until coated, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and pear nectar; bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is almost tender; stir in walnuts and remove from heat.While rice is cooking, cut a 3" slit in the thick side of each chicken breast to form a pocket; do not cut completely through. In a small bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup bleu cheese and 1/4 cup chopped pears; mix well. Stuff this mixture into each chicken breast; sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
Pour rice mixture into a 13x9" glass baking dish and top with the stuffed chicken. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and rice is tender. Meanwhile, peel, core, and slice pears. In small bowl combine 1/4 cup bleu cheese and 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts. Sprinkle this mixture over each chicken breast and arrange pear slices around chicken; return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and rice mixture bubbles. Serves 6
Note: To make ahead of time, let rice mixture cool completely before topping with the stuffed chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes, then top with the cheese mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and rice mixture is bubbling.
