Chicken Brian

"Chicken Bryan...so yummy!!!" - a text I received from my brother, Brian, a few weeks ago after my sister-in-law made this recipe for him. It is a dish "inspired" by a meal you can order at Carrabba's Italian Grill called, well, "Chicken Bryan". So I guess when I say "inspired", what I really mean is a healthier, less-involved (but still tasty) version of exactly the same thing. Except mine is called "Chicken Brian" after my brother, father of two, wife of one, and 2nd to none.

I should also mention this recipe is an amazing option for all you low-carb dieters out there. It is very satisfying, for a (virtually) no-carb dish, if you serve it up with some grilled or steamed vegetables or a nice salad. It is also one of the easiest things I make on a regular basis. The restaurant version has it in a delicious lemon-basil-butter sauce, but I have skipped that completely simply because the dish doesn't need it and neither do your thighs.

Chicken Brian:

serves 4

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz soft goat cheese (crumbled or sliced - should be consistency of cream cheese)
1 small can of sun dried tomato paste OR small can of sun dried tomatoes (they should be in a can of olive oil, not in a dry package)
salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F
Heat olive oil in pan over med-high heat on the stove-top.
Season the chicken breasts by lightly coating them balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Sear each side of each chicken breast by placing them on the heated pan for about 30 seconds on each side
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and put them in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven and turn the heat up to broil.
Generously smear the sun dried tomato paste (or you can put 3 or 4 sun dried tomatoes, halved)on top of each chicken breast (keeping them on the baking pan)
Generously sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles on top of the sun dried tomato (or you can put two or three slices on top)
Stick the pan with the chicken breasts back into the oven under the broiler for another 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to slightly toast.



This one in the picture was made with the crumbled goat cheese and the bottled halved sun dried tomatoes. If you use the paste, it should coat the entire chicken breast.