Apple-Cranberry Chicken Breasts

[novapsyche]

I bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts today while shopping (a great price: 3.5 lbs for $5). I tried to figure out how to prepare them. I came across a couple of recipes, but now I can find only one. I decided to combine them to see how they'd come out.

Like I said, I adore sweetmeat:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved
1/4 cup tart apple, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 oz. Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
1/4 oz. walnuts, chopped (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix apples & cranberries (as well as walnuts, if desired). Set aside.

Take each half of the breast & slice its interior horizontally. Salt & pepper each side of the halves. Place a slice of Gruyere within each incision, then fill remainder of space with apple/cranberry mixture. Fold each half closed & place in an ungreased baking dish. Cover each breast half with thin scoops of the jellied cranberry sauce; spread or arrange to cover evenly.

Place baking dish in oven & bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven & ensure cranberry sauce still evenly covers breast halves; if not, spread accordingly. Bake 25 minutes more or until flesh is cooked through.

Serve immediately with rice, if desired.