Prosciutto and Gruyere Stuffed Chicken Breasts - (Free Recipe below)

Slice open the chicken breasts ALMOST to the other side.  Lie them flat and  pound them out flat, as evenly as you can.  Season the chicken with  spices.  Go easy on the salt, as the prosciutto and the cheese are  fairly salty.  Go heavier on the other seasonings.  Roll the prosciutto  around a piece of  Gruyere, then place it along one end of the breast.   Roll the breast around the prosciutto/Gruyere, and secure with  toothpicks. You may choose to also season the outside of the meat.

Add a couple of tablespoons of EVOO to a heavy skillet.  Once the oil is  really hot, carefully add the chicken breasts.  It should immediately  start sizzling if the oil is hot enough.  Once you place the chicken, do NOT attempt move them.  They will release once they get a beautiful,  golden brown sear on them.  Using long handled kitchen tongs, turn the  chicken to sear on all sides.  Remove from heat.  NOTE - the chicken is  NOT cooked yet!!  

Add some prepared sauce over the top of the chicken.  I added about 1/2 jar of Mario Batali's Vodka Sauce over mine.  Insert a digital thermometer  into the middle of the thickest breast you have, then pop them into the  oven until they reach 160 degrees.  That took about 20 minutes for my  chicken - but I love using the digital thermometer that beeps when it  reaches the correct temperature, because that allows me to turn my focus onto other things.  Then my chicken is cooked properly, without over  baking and drying it out.  

Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest.  I would say at least 5  minutes.   Slice into thick pinwheels and garnish with freshly chopped  basil ribbons.  Serve with a little extra sauce that we baked it in from the pan.