4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 scallions, sliced on an angle
4 slices of good-quality center-cut bacon
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Butterfly the chicken breast halves by cutting horizontally across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up like a book and pound them lightly between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Peel away the paper and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans, and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken around the filling, then wrap each roll with a strip of bacon, securing it with a wooden toothpick. Season the outside of the rolls with pepper.

Heat the EVOO in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken rolls and brown evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the chicken for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

When the chicken is almost done, melt the butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, then whisk in the stock. Cook for a minute to thicken, then whisk in the half-and-half and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Serve the halved chicken rolls with the red wine rice and savory Swiss chard. Pour the gravy over the top.

Serves 4

Excerpted from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book. Copyright © 2008 by Rachael Ray. All rights reserved.