Secure with toothpicks and brown on all sides?

[Biteset]

yes yes, I KNOW this isn't a cooking forum!

But I'm trying out a recipe from the "Cathe Cookbook", called Pepper Jack Chicken. It involves flattening chicken breasts to 1/4 in. thickness, laying a strip of pepper jack cheese down the middle, then folding it over and securing with toothpicks. So far so good. But then--brown it on all sides in a large skillet?

Here's where my toothpick inexperience bites me in the butt, and honestly I'm not stupid, just not the handiest cook.

How does one exactly place the toothpicks? Do you just stick them in on top or do you sort of thread them horizontally along the edges? What I REALLY mean is, is there a way to secure the folded breasts with toothpicks so that they can be flipped over in a skillet? And not have the toothpicks get in the way?

Anyone?

thanks...

Gisela

 

[alsrnbsn]

Typically when I use toothpicks to secure something like this, I try to use them like a pin....down through the top layer, get some of the bottom layer, then back up through the top layer. Like you said, thread them horizontally. The threading actually doesn't get in the way when you are turning the chicken breasts.

Good luck!

 

[dss62467]

Cathe has a cookbook? Wow! I'm out of touch!

Are the recipes actually good? I need some good recipes that are easy and quick. I hate all that chop-chop-chop....standing in the kitchen....cleaning up the dishes stuff.

 

[allwildgirl]

Donna - no, Cathe does not have a cookbook. It's a cookbook we put together a while ago with recipes contributed by Cathe forum members.

 

[Biteset]

WWCD? What would Cathe do? Would she stick some full fat pepper jack cheese into a chicken breast and eat it? (assuming she cooked the breast first)

What I mean is, would she endorse such an idea for a REAL "Cathe cookbook"? I dunno...

;-) (I'm totally trying to be silly here)

I enjoyed the chicken, except a lot of the cheese melted and ran OUT of the chicken breasts, so it wasn't quite the result I hoped for. Maybe better next time.

Gisela