Best. Chicken. Ever.

Best. Chicken. Ever. Truly. Everyone at the dinner table agreed, and as you know, I have a five year old who could live on meatballs and chicken nuggets and a two year old who doesn't eat chicken. Even the two year old ate a little bit, which is saying a lot.


beth's yummy chicken pockets

4 chicken breasts
frozen puff pastry sheets
4 oz cream cheese (I used light cream cheese and it tasted wonderful)
bacon slices
parsley or basil (I used parsley - fresh)
1 green onion
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon and set aside. Finely chop onion and parsley or basil. Add onion, parsley or basil, pepper, and crumbled bacon to cream cheese in large bowl. Mix. At this point you could add grated cheese, red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat), really you can add in whatever flavor combinations you like.

Cut a deep slit in each piece of chicken and fill with 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture. Place the chicken on the puff pastry, cream cheese side down. If your pastry is too small link two together with a little dab of the egg. Salt and pepper the chicken. Brush egg onto the edges of the pastry and fold up over the chicken, totally covering the chicken with pastry. Brush the top of each packet with egg. Place on baking sheet and cook in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

These were great with crisp green beans. Easy to make ahead of time and just pop in the oven when ready to bake. Enjoy!

I love "pantry" and "fridge"...

You would think that because I work from home dinner would always be on the table right on time, right? Well, think again. Despite my best intentions to have home cooked, yummy, and healthy meals for my family to enjoy every night life seems to keep getting in the way. I plan. I shop. I prep. I start dinner hours before the family shows up at the table so that I can do a little at a time. I frequently cook extra and freeze for another day. And some days I pull it all off beautifully. Others, not so much.

So the other night I was slightly panicking at dinner time. I had defrosted pork chops but had no plan. And the boys, all three of them, would be home soon. As in SOON. I rummaged through pantry and fridge, (I LOVE Chopped, the TV show, so now I too have "pantry" and "fridge".) Anyways, I rummaged around, tossed a few items in a bowl, used my new favorite wisk and created my new favorite glaze.

Whisk together 3 parts apricot marmalade with 1 part soy sauce. Add in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and a dash of salet and pepper. Pour over pork chops during last 20 minutes of baking.

Amazing. Sweet and tangy with a little touch of salt. Husband LOVED it. Tiny Toddler LOVED it. Big Five Year Old tried it and said it was "good", which is HUGE coming from him.

This was so good and so easy that it has officially made my monthly dinner rotation.