Puff Pastry-Wrapped Gorgonzola Chicken | culture: the word on cheese
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Puff Pastry-Wrapped Gorgonzola Chicken


Puff Pastry-Wrapped BelGioioso CreamyGorg Chicken

Kat Nielsen
One of my favorite go-to appetizers is a cake made out of cheese (who doesn’t love the idea of that?). Soft gorgonzola is layered between mascarpone, and from there is frosted in more mascarpone, coated with a layer of pecans and topped with a sweet caramel apple and cranberry mixture. It’s as elegant and insanely delicious as it sounds (and all thanks to the folks at Wegmans supermarket for creating such a wonderful concept that I enjoy and keep recreating). When one tries to shift from the old to the new, such as creating a main course, this cheese cake bodes well as inspiration, perfect for holiday entertaining. Bold flavors come together in beautiful presentation letting the magic of BelGioioso’s award-winning cheeses shine. It’s familiar flavors come together in a new way that guests will surely enjoy with minimal prep on your side.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 14- ounce package puff pastry
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
  • 3/4 cup BelGioioso mascarpone cheese room temperature
  • 3/4 cup BelGioioso CreamyGorg room temperature
  • 1 apple cored and sliced very thinly
  • 1 egg
  • Pecans and cranberries for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • Remove puff pastry from freezer and allow to thaw on counter while you prep your other ingredients.
  • Heat a skillet over medium high heat. In the meantime, cut the chicken breasts down to about a 4- by 4-inch pieces, utilizing the thickest part of the breast in your cut. Set aside the additional pieces of chicken to use in another recipe.
  • Heat oil and garlic in the skillet. Rub the chicken pieces with salt and rosemary. Add chicken to the hot skillet and sear for 2 - 3 minutes per side until a nice browning occurs and meat releases easily. Remove chicken from skillet and allow to cool slightly while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • In a small bowl, mix together BelGioioso mascarpone and CreamyGorg and set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. In another small bowl, beat egg with one tablespoon water. Unfold your puff pastry. If it’s the right temperature it should not crack, but should not be warm to the point where it is sticky.
  • Cut puff pastry into 4 equal sized pieces. Lay them onto your baking sheets. Ideally you want square pieces. In the center of each puff pastry square, place equal amounts of your cheese mixture and spread into an even layer the size of your chicken breast. Top your cheese with a piece of chicken. Then, equally divide slices of apple onto each chicken piece.
  • Carefully bring the sides of the puff pastry around your cheese, chicken, and apples. It will not cover the apples completely, which is okay. Flip the entire ‘package’ over so your apples are touching your baking sheet. Tuck and flatten out your puff pastry to close any seams. Repeat with each one.
  • Finally, brush each puff pastry package with egg and water mixture. If so desired, place pecans or fresh cranberries on top for a festive decoration. Place in the oven and bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until crust is browned and chicken reaches 165°F.

Notes

Notes: As the puff pastry cooks, the cheese will melt and coat the chicken, eventually settling into your apples. It is completely normal to have an air pocket.
If you’re not a fan of gorgonzola, you can use all mascarpone or consider using a mixture of mascarpone with Asiago Fresco.
Adapted from Eat Your Tarte Out

Kat Nielsen

Author Kat Nielsen (Tarte Chic) is a creative old soul with an immense love for for. She maintains a day job handling marketing and brand support to various companies while enjoying her evenings and weekends writing recipes and blogging all about her culinary experiences. Visit her blog at EatYourTarteOut.com or email her at tartechic@eatyourtarteout.com.

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