AIR FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS

After a recent party, I had a whole bunch of miscellaneous hors d’oeuvres left in the fridge. For those of you that follow my blog, you know I hate to waste food, so I came up with a simple way to use them in stuffed chicken thighs. You could use similar leftovers from your fridge as a substitute. Maybe you’ve got some roasted peppers or sliced olives or babaganoush hiding behind the milk. Take a look! You might not have to call Uber Eats tonight after all.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

½ cup tapenade spread

½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

½ cup caramelized onions

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

½ cup panko, seasoned with salt and pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.

Lay out of piece of clear wrap on top of a cuting board. Spread out a chicken thigh and cover with another piece of clear wrap. Pound out each thigh until thin, about ¼”. Remove the clear wrap. Season with salt and pepper.

Set out a clean piece of clear wrap and place one thigh on top. Spread a light layer of tapenade on the chicken thighs. Sprinkle goat cheese and onions down the center of each thigh. Using the clear wrap as a guide, roll up each thigh as tightly as possible, making sure the wrap itself doesn’t get caught in the folds. Once the thigh is rolled up, place the clear wrap around it and tighten so they look like sausages. Repeat for each thigh. Place the wrapped thighs in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Carefully unwrap each thigh, then dredge each first in flour, then eggs, then panko.

Place chicken thighs seam down in air fryer. Lower temp to 380 and bake for 15 minutes. Turn thighs over and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from fryer and let rest for five minutes.

Slice and serve with salad. Spoon some tapenade on top of chicken slices.