Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemon-Dill Sauce

1 . Stage

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, leaving bacon grease in the skillet. Chop bacon when cool enough to handle. Add shallot to bacon grease in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes.

2 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat a glass casserole dish with cooking spray.

3 . Stage

Place the tip of a sharp knife 1 inch from the top of a chicken breast. Cut a shallow slice lengthwise down the center, stopping 1 inch from the bottom. Cut shallow slices horizontally across the top and bottom of the slice. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

4 . Stage

Combine chopped bacon, caramelized shallot, ricotta cheese, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Stuff each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and place in the prepared casserole dish.

5 . Stage

Cook in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

6 . Stage

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to create a roux. Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly until smooth. Add in cream, lemon juice, white wine, and dill. Cook, stirring continuously, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

7 . Stage

Remove chicken from the oven. Pour sauce over chicken breasts, return to the oven, and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 more minutes.

8 . Stage

Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and turn on the oven's broiler. Broil chicken until slightly golden, about 3 minutes.