Dixie-Stuffed Chicken

Inspired by Cuisine at Home magazine. The original recipe calls for chicken leg quarters, but I used boneless chicken thighs and it turned out great. You could also use boneless chicken breast if you like. It also called for a special barbeque sauce, but we used our own homemade sauce - you could use your favorite sauce or a store-bought one.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 thighs

Ingredients

• 4  slices bacon, diced
• 3  cups  collard greens, stemmed and chopped
• 1⁄2 onion, diced
• 2⁄3 cup corn kernel
• 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, sliced
• 3  tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
• 1  jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1  cup  cornbread, crumbled, your favorite recipe
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8  chicken thighs, boneless
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
•  salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Saute bacon iin a pan over medoum heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
2. Add greens and onions to pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add corn, bell pepper, broth and jalapeno to bacon mixture, cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add cornbread, cayenne and salt. Let stuffing cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
5. Carefully cut chicken pieces horizontally in half without cutting all the way through, similar to the butterfly method.
6. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup stuffing in chicken piece. Wrap chicken around stuffing to cover. Tie chicken pieces with butcher's twine to secure stuffing. Make knots tight, but not so tight that they squeeze the stuffing out. Coat chicken lightlly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
7. Grill chicken covered over direct medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes on each side. Baste with barbecue sauce, (reserve some for dipping), flip over and baste the other side.
8. Reduce heat to low, cook until sauce is bubbling and caramelized, about 2-3 minutes.
9. Before serving, remove twine with kitchen shears. Serve with reserved sauce on side for dipping.