Spinach-and-Brie Chicken with Tomato Orzo

There are times when I try something new in the kitchen and the task seems daunting to me. I become filled with doubt and questions. In the case of this chicken recipe, here were the questions and fears cluttering my head: What if I don't cut the chicken thin enough? What if I don't roll it right and it looks horrible? How will I know when it's cooked through? What if the cheese melts all over the place?

Silly, I know. I'm such a worrier. I am happy to have "blazed the trail," so to speak, with this recipe and answer all those questions for you so you my dear reader, will run to your kitchen and make this. It was so worth it and really quite simple.

First I used 3 regular chicken breasts that I cut in half horizontally or lengthwise. No problem, just use a good knife.

As the directions say, be sure to roll it up tight, again, no problems there.

I was concerned about the cooking time, because after all, rolled chicken is thick chicken and 8 –10 minutes under the broiler just didn't seem long enough to me. After 10 minutes of broiling I did move the chicken to a lower rack in the oven and lowered the temperature to 350º while I finished preparing the rest of the meal—about 10 minutes. The chicken was done, perfectly!

As for my fear of the cheese melting all over. It did melt some onto the foil, but most of the cheese was held inside and was melty and yummy.

There, hopefully all your fears are relieved now, along with mine. Oh, and are you wondering about the taste? Fantastic! Grab some company, cause they will love it too. Not a Brie lover? No worries, I am anxious to try this dish with other cheeses as well. You could try goat, mozzarella, fontina, gorganzola, etc... If you do try it with other cheeses please comment and let me know how it tasted.

And, speaking of comments, I LOVE to hear from my readers. Please don't be shy, leave a comment. You'll make my day!

Spinach-and-Brie Chicken and Tomato Orzo

Adapted by Martha Stew

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut in half, lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 8 slices
• 1 cup orzo
• 2 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Set a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Dividing evenly, spread one side of each cutlet with mustard; top with spinach, then cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Starting at short end, roll chicken up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, on sheet.

Season rolled chicken with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until tops are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Move to lower rack and reduce to 350º for 10 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, cook orzo in boiling water until al dente. Drain well; return to pot. Add tomatoes, parsley, butter, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Serve stuffed chicken with orzo.

Yield - 4 servings (6 chicken rolls)