The simplest of simple, once again parades as the fanciest y’all. 

If you can cut a chicken breast in half, you can make this sweet, rich, healthy chicken dinner. People at work will drool over your oh-so-ridiculously-basic concoction of apples, blue cheese and vinegar.

Plus, this one’s kinda fun. Sub in what you like. Try different combinations. Make a whole batch with friends and see who got the best combo.

To keep my head from spinning, I stick to a fruit/cheese/acid (sometimes second meat – even toasted nut?!) formula. 

What you’ll need:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 chicken breast
1/4 apple (I used an old pink lady), thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. blue cheese crumbles
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (love)
honey, for drizzling
6-8 endive leaves, if you like a little bitter with your sweet (or drop the honey)

**A word to the wise, prep your apples, cheese and shallot before tackling anything chicken. Also – add olive oil to your baking dish. Raw chicken is nasty, and you really don’t need to be putting chicken hands on a perfectly good bottle of extra virgin, just sayin.

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• If you’re wise (ahem, ahem), slice your apples & shallots, and set them aside with the cheese
• Put raw chicken breast on a plate. Starting at the thickest corner, use a sharp knife to thinly butterfly the breast.
  • I find a slow, sawing motion works best, keeping my left hand on top of the chicken and slowing moving the knife back and forth with my right hand. Lefties, maybe try the other way?
    

    
• Salt and pepper both sides of your butterflied chicken breast.
• The fun part! Stack your sliced stuffing supplies. Working on the near side of the sliced breast, stack your apples first.
• Fold the far side of the chicken over.
  • Things will fall out. It is okay. Promise. It actually makes for a good caramelized, charred zone once you get everything into the baking dish.
• Using both hands, place chicken in baking dish.
• Wash your hands? Yep, definitely time.
• Drizzle with vinegar and honey.
• Top with any fix-ins that didn’t make it inside the chicken.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  

  

  

I hope you have as much fun with this as I do.

I’d love to hear what you tried. Think orange slices for Christmas, or even pear. Go crazy and sub in sliced prosciutto and toasted pine nuts (brie? jam? pesto?). No one’s judging. Leave a comment with your latest inspiration!