Baked Chicken Kiev - Mad Men Made Me Make It!

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Somehow, a chicken breast stuffed with half a stick of butter and some garlic powder never made it to my plate.  In fact, I had never even heard of the Ukranian Chicken Kiev until I was watching an episode of Mad Men, where one of the characters claims that a restaurant Kiev is so good, it squirts butter.

The show, set in mid-century U.S., is notorious for depicting gluttonous debauchery - smoking while drinking while eating bacon wrapped raw steak sizzled in its own fat - but I was still shocked to see that the dish was deep fried, breaded chicken stuffed with butter.  My kitchen isn't a country fair, and I don't dare sink to the levels of deep fried butter wrapped in chicken in my own house.  If I cross that line, my heart and I may never come back!

So here is my (relatively) healthier take on Chicken Kiev - proof that just because the chicken squirts butter, it doesn't have to be like building a Hoover Dam in your arteries.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
4 tbs unsalted butter
4 tbs seasoning (garlic powder, onion powder) - I used Spice House Garlic Maple Seasoning
4 oz baby spinach, chopped

1. Melt the butter in the microwave, and stir in 3 tbs of the seasoning
2. Put the butter mixture in the freezer until firm. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400.
3. Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick
4. Cut three slits horizontally into the underside of the chicken - this will help the chicken absorb the butter
5. Remove the butter from the freezer, and cut in half.  Place a half of the butter pattie on each of the breasts
6. Place a bed of spinach on the breasts, over the butter patties

7. Roll up the chicken breasts and secure with 3-4 toothpicks.
8. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the remaining seasoning
9. Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top begins to brown slightly.  Expect a lot of sizzling!
10. Serve on a bed of spinach

Questions?  Additions?  Comment below, or email me at CutsEverday@gmail.com.