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We often roast bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts when we aren't up for handling an entire bird. You get the same flavor and crispy skin but it's a bit more manageable.

Our typical method of cooking these breasts involves shoving something up under the skin — butter mixed with herbs, usually — and rubbing the skin with butter or olive oil, seasoning liberally with salt and pepper, and roasting in the oven.

For this dish, we did the same thing, putting fingerfuls of goat cheese under the skin. But we also cut a deep slit in the side of the breast and stuffed cheese in there, too. That way, each bite had a little goat cheese and garlic in it.

Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Fresh Garlic
makes two breasts

2 ounces goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 stalks fresh, green garlic (you could use 1 to 2 cloves of regular garlic, minced, if you can't find green garlic)
2 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with the lemon zest, juice, and parsley until well blended. Slice the garlic bulbs very thinly and chop about 1/3 of the green stalks. Add garlic to the goat cheese mixture.

Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts by running your fingers underneath it, leaving it attached at the edges. Cut a deep slit — about 3 inches long and and inch and a half deep — into the thick, meatier side of each breast.

Using half of the goat cheese for each chicken breast, stuff half of that portion into the slit, pushing it as deep as possible into the chicken breast. Use a toothpick or two to close the slit if necessary. Put the other half under the skin and slide your finger across the top of the skin to spread the cheese out. Repeat with the other chicken breast.

Rub both breasts with olive oil and season well with plenty of salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crisp.

Related: The Cheesemonger's Seasonal Spotlight: Goat Cheese

(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)