20 November 2020 Cheesy Bacon Chicken Bake

Cheesy Bacon Chicken Bake

November 20, 2020 By

While baked chicken recipes can be boring and sometimes even bland, this easy weeknight Cheesy Bacon Chicken Bake recipe is just the opposite.

It came to me as we were trying to empty our freezer and fridge before our move out of state. We had some chicken breasts in the freezer, that I thawed, and a block of cream cheese and some pre-cooked bacon to use up, so the Cheesy Bacon Chicken Bake was born.

This low carb recipe comes together in mere minutes and is perfect for weeknights or an easy weekend dinner. You could add things like cubed ham instead of bacon or add cooked spinach or cooked mushrooms and it would be delicious. The shredded cheese you use can also be changed to Swiss or Colby or Jack, or whatever you have on hand.

The chicken can be served with rice or a side salad for those living the keto life.

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless breasts halves, sliced in half horizontally (you’ll have 8 pieces)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
  • ½ tsp. each salt, pepper and garlic powder
  • 8 slices cooked bacon, chopped into bite size pieces
  • Chopped scallions, optional

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a rectangular baking dish (I used an 11’x7” Pyrex) place the chicken breasts in an even layer (a bit of overlap is fine).
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, cream cheese, 1 cup shredded Cheddar, the spices and chopped bacon.
  4. Top the chicken with the cheese/bacon mixture then top that with the rest of the Cheddar.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees and the cheese has melted and is lightly golden.
  6. Garnish with the scallions, if using.

Serves 4.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Chicken, Entrees Tagged With: , , ,
17 May 2018 Chicken Bites with Tarragon Dipping Sauce

Chicken Bites with Tarragon Dipping Sauce

May 17, 2018 By

These Chicken Bites with Tarragon Dipping Sauce are a great little dish to make when company comes over and you don’t want to slave over a hot stove at the last minutes.

Chicken BitesI make the tarragon dipping sauce the day before and keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to serve the dish. This saves some time and keeps you out of the kitchen and with your guests come party time.

The bites will please adults and children and I often double the recipe as they’re a huge hit at parties. You could make the bites a little ahead of time and fry just 8 minutes then reheat in the oven, or my favorite, the toaster oven, for 2-3 minutes right before you want to serve the bites.

Bites Ingredients:

  • 2 cups peanut oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, patted dry and cut in 1½ inch bites.
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. poultry seasonings
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. dry thyme
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper (plus additional salt for seasoning the cooked chicken)

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp. dry tarragon or 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
  • 4 drops of hot sauce
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Bites Directions:

  1. In a heavy saucepan or ideally a deep cast iron pan, warm the oil over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, poultry seasonings, garlic power, thyme and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
  3. In another medium bowl, add the buttermilk.
  4. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, shake to remove excess and toss in the bread crumb mixture to fully coat each piece. Add the coated chicken to the oil and cook in batches for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. You don’t want to crowd the pan with too much chicken or the oil will drop in temperature and your chicken will get soggy from oil penetrating the chicken instead of cooking the exterior. Place cooked chicken on paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.

Dipping Sauce Directions:

While the bites cook, in a medium bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk well to fully combine. Serve with the bites.

Serves 6-8 as appetizers/hors d’oeuvres.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Chicken, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
4 January 2015 Chicken in Tarragon and Riesling Sauce

Chicken in Tarragon and Riesling Sauce

January 4, 2015 By

Chicken in Tarragon and Riesling SauceLast night, I made this dish using a combination of chicken and rabbit and received rave reviews on my pictures on social media…except for a couple people upset at the use of rabbit in the dish. I get it, it’s easy to associate rabbit with Bugs Bunny and get sensitive about it.

Me, I don’t see much of a difference between a cute rabbit and a cute chicken, so I used both in the recipe. It’s easy to use one or the other or both, it’s up to you and also how easy it is to source rabbit where you are.

Veggies and Bacon

Veggies and Bacon

This is such a delicious, easy-to-make recipe that you can make in the morning and reheat when your guests arrive. It’s also great for leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 6 bacon strips, diced
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced
  • 1 8-ounce package fresh sliced Cremini mushrooms
  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. tarragon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 1-750 ml bottle dry Riesling (or other dry white wine)
  • 1 tsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. softened butter
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Chicken Simmering

Chicken Simmering

Directions:

  1. In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, coat in the bacon fat and cook until tender, another 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables and bacon to a plate keeping some of the bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Place chicken in a bowl and coat with mustard. Add the oil to the Dutch oven and raise the heat to high. Brown chicken on all sides for about 5 minutes. Add tarragon, bay leaves, salt and pepper and cook for an additional minute. Add the wine and scrape any browns bits from the bottom of the pot, this is where all the awesome flavors come from.
  3. Return the vegetable and bacon to the pot and stir gently to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring gently, occasionally.
  4. Raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer. In a small dish, combine the flour and butter to create a paste and add to the bubbling cooking liquid. Stir gently to ensure the butter paste is fully incorporated and sauce is slightly thickened. Lower the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cream to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. At this point, the dish can be served over fluffy white rice or cooled and kept in the fridge for up to a day. To reheat, place the chicken and sauce in a Dutch oven, add ½ cup chicken stock and reheat for 30 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees.

4 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, French, Mushrooms, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
19 February 2012 Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

February 19, 2012 By

Last night, I held a small dinner party for a friend’s birthday.  Since I’ve known him, he’s talked about his mother’s coq au vin, so I decided to fix the traditional French dish for his birthday.  In French, coq au vin means “rooster with wine”).  It’s a rustic French braised dish of chicken cooked in wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic.

For guidance, I turned to the coq au vin queen, Julia Child.  The following recipe takes inspiration from her popular version, featured in her From Julia Child’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 5 slices thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 pounds chicken parts (thighs, legs and breasts), thoroughly dried
  • 1/4 cup Cognac
  • 1/2 tsp each thyme, salt and pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 pearl onions, peeled
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy Pinot Noir)
  • 2 cups veal stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 pound fresh white button mushrooms, quartered and sautéed in 2 Tbsp butter

Directions

  1. Sauté bacon in oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.  Remove bacon lardons to a paper toweled dish for later use, leaving bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Add the chicken to the bacon fat over medium-high heat, and brown on all sides.  You may need to do this in two batches so the pot isn’t crowded.  Pour in the Cognac, shake pan a few seconds until bubbling hot, then ignite Cognac with a long lighter or a match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol then extinguish with pan cover.
  3. Season chicken pieces with thyme, salt and pepper.  Add bay leaves.  Place onions around the chicken. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
  4. Uncover pan and sprinkle on the flour, turning chicken and onions so flour is absorbed.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning once or twice.
  5. Add the wine, the stock, lardons, garlic, tomato paste and mushrooms to the pan.  Cover and simmer slowly 45 minutes.
  6. Serve with buttered wide egg noodles.

Serves 6.

Notes:  I highly suggest you make the dish through step 4 the morning or the day before you want to serve it.  The flavors need to develop for best results.  To reheat, place in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes or simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

 

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, French, Mushrooms, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
29 August 2011 Slow Cooker Chicken Portobello

Slow Cooker Chicken Portobello

August 29, 2011 By

Although I’m originally from Quebec, I grew up in South Florida where the weather can be interesting at times.  I’ve gone through hurricane preparedness more times than I care to remember, so when Hurricane Irene made its way to the northeast where I now live, it was business as usual at my home.

While chips, dips, nuts and candy can be great when you’re boarded up, ‘real’ food can be a nice treat.  The night before the hurricane was to visit us, I made a simple and fast-to-prepare chicken dish in my slow cooker that was easily reheated on my grill in a pot after we lost power the next day.

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 2 tsp. fresh sage, chopped
  • 1/2 of a 750 ml bottle dry Riesling
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Place all the ingredients in an 8-quart slow cooker (Crockpot).  Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  2. Serve over white rice.

4 Servings.

Notes: If you like a thicker sauce, simple combine a teaspoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water in a dish and add to the sauce.  Turn slow cooker to high and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, Mushrooms Tagged With: , , ,
11 January 2011 Chicken Thighs with Bacon in Riesling

Chicken Thighs with Bacon in Riesling

January 11, 2011 By

Chicken Thighs with Bacon in Riesling

While I hate using a Riesling I enjoy drinking in this recipe, the flavor of the sauce when I’ve used Finger Lakes Riesling’s been outstanding.  Don’t have Riesling on hand, don’t fret!  Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or another dry wine would work great also.

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 3 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2 medium leeks, chopped, washed and patted dry
  • 3 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 3 ½ cups ( 1-750 ml bottle) white wine, preferably Riesling
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½  cup crème fraiche or sour cream

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place chicken on a plate, sprinkle with flour then shake off excess.
  3. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat.  Add bacon and cook until browned and crispy, about 4-5 minutes.  Add chicken and brown on all sides, then remove the bacon and chicken from the pan to a plate.
  4. Add the leeks, carrots and onion to the saucepan, turn heat to medium and cook vegetables, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
  5. Return the chicken pieces and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables.  Add the thyme, salt, pepper, wine and broth.  Stir gently to combine, cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  6. Remove pan from the oven and stir in the crème fraiche to the chicken mixture to combine and create a thick sauce.  Serve over white rice.

6 Servings.

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,