Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken

First savory post here on One Hungry Hog, this sets the bar high. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to take a picture. Mr. Cowboy, KK (friend and former teammate), and I simply gobbled this up too quickly for photos. Maybe, I'll remember to snap a picture next time I make this dish - trust me, there will be a next time.

This recipe came about by buying a ton of both bacon and feta cheese at Sam's. From necessity comes yumminess I guess.  The marinade becomes a delicious sauce (don't worry it's cooked) that is definitely sop worthy - so have some bread on hand. I served this over rice pilaf and licked the plate, politely of course.

Notes:

• This recipe is very variable due to the size of your chicken, etc. Essentially use as much bacon and feta as you think it will take to fill the chicken breasts.
• I cut up the chicken breasts because the ones I buy are huge. If you don't feel that this is a necessary step, that is perfectly fine; the recipe can use whole chicken breasts just as easily (the cooking time may be 35 minutes).
• You could also wrap partially cooked bacon around the chicken if you would like to snazze the dish up a touch.
• I recently started cheating and using the jarred minced garlic, hence the measurement, so feel free to adjust to your garlic availability or preference.
• A hint on dried spices: Pour them into your palm and rub them between your hands prior to putting into the dish, in order to release the oils.

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Yield: 6-8 Stuffed Chicken Rolls

2 lemons, medium sized
1 T. (5 cloves) garlic, minced
1 T. dried oregano
2 t. Cavender's Greek Seasoning
8 T. olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 - 2/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled
6 slices bacon, fried and drained

Into a 9x13 baking dish, zest the two lemons and then juice them. Add the garlic, oregano, Cavender's, and olive oil. Whisk together to combine.

Cut the chicken breasts in half and then butterfly them down the middle. If you feel that you will need them a little smaller to stuff, you can place them on the counter, cover them with plastic wrap, and pound them out a bit.

Nestle the chicken pieces down into the sauce and marinate for at least an hour. Feel free to leave these in the sauce as long as you like.

When ready to cook, preheat to 350. Crumble the bacon into a small bowl and mix with the feta. Pull the chicken pieces out of the sauce and stuff with the feta and bacon. (If you have extra feta/bacon, do not fear.) Close with a toothpick and return to the baking dish with sauce. Repeat for all of the pieces of chicken.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. If ambitious, baste with the sauce throughout cooking. If you had extra feta and bacon, sprinkle it over the chicken 5 or so minutes before the dish is done cooking.

Update: The lone leftover iPhone picture, not great but better than nothing!