Smoky BACON & ORANGE Stuffed CHICKEN THIGHS
1/4 cup orange marmalade (sugar or sugar-free)
2-3 slices smoked bacon, cooked crisp (I do it in the microwave) and chopped/crumbled
1/4 cup yellow or white onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic………………....1 TB fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup panko crumbs (or dry breadcrumbs).............about 1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crushed/crumbled (if you don’t like sage, you can substitute dried tarragon or thyme)
1/4 tsp. black pepper…………………………….1 tsp. kosher salt
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (most packages at the grocery store seem to have 6 thighs in them)
extra chopped parsley for garnish (dried parsley will work too)
buttery or olive oil non-stick spray (optional, but this will keep the chicken moist during baking) ~OR~ leftover bacon grease (from the strips you made for the stuffing)
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and give a quick spritz of non-stick spray..
STUFFING: Combine marmalade, bacon, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, sage, and parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.
Open up a chicken thigh and put between pieces of waxed paper on your cutting board. Pound with a skillet or a rolling pin to flatten. Repeat with all of the chicken thighs.
Lay each flattened thigh on the cutting board skin (with the what-used-to-be-skin-side down), and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Spread about 2 TB stuffing on each thigh and press down with your fingers. Carefully roll the thighs up and put them (seam side down) on the lined baking sheet. Lightly spray each one with the non-stick spray (or brush the leftover bacon grease on top) and then sprinkle each one with a little smoked paprika. (You can secure with a toothpick, if you want.)
Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes or until done. Remove the toothpicks and sprinkle with a little more fresh chopped parsley. Serves 3-6 (depends how hungry you are and how big the chicken thighs are). * This can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes.
NOTE: Be sure to carefully clean anything the raw chicken came in contact with, using antibacterial dishwashing detergent (or something equivalent).