3970. ONE-POT PASTA with CHICKEN, BACON and BBQ SAUCE

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast half

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 strips bacon, diced

½ medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups bone broth (see Notes)

1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, diced

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes

3 cups tricolor radiatori or other short pasta

⅓ cup BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought)

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Warm bacon fat or olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pot. Cook until golden brown without turning, 6-8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool for 5 minutes and then dice; it's OK if the chicken is raw in the middle as it will continue to cook when it's added back to the pot.

In the same pot, cook bacon and onion on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon crisps and onion starts to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add bone broth, tomatoes with juice, milk, thyme, chili flakes, pasta and diced chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Uncover and continue simmering until pasta is cooked and liquid reduces, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in BBQ sauce and cheese. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes: Bone broth is made by simmering meaty bones for hours until they break down and release vitamins and minerals.


bacon recipe source: Alison Strickland (@AlisonTCG), Two of a Kind, June 2, 2015

3947. HONEY BACON GLAZED CHICKEN

Serves: 4-6 servings


For the marinade:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp steak seasoning
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced (can substitute 1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves)

For the glaze:
8 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp hot sauce

Marinate the chicken: To a large ziploc bag, add the marinade ingredients, twist with your hand (or zip closed) and shake to combine well. Pierce chicken breasts with a fork a few times, add to bag, seal, place on a plate and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

Make the glaze: Chop bacon into small slices and add to a large sauce pan. Cook until crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Drain grease from the saucepan, but do NOT wipe it clean.

Add remaining glaze ingredients, whisk to combine. Heat over MED heat until it bubbles up. Add cooked bacon and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. It will thicken as it cools.

Cook the chicken: Preheat grill or large skillet on MED-HIGH heat. Add a drizzle of olive or vegetable oil and cook chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

Top chicken with bacon glaze.


bacon recipe source: Amanda, The Chunky Chef (@The_Chunky_Chef), June 2015

3917. CLUB SANDWICH with CHICKEN, BACON and ROCKET

yields 4 sandwiches


12 slices (rustic) bread
8 rashers bacon, trimmed of fat
light, spray olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, skinned and flattened with a meat hammer
1 tsp herbs, mixed, dried
200 g canned sweetcorn (corn kernels), drained and rinsed
small bunch rocket
1 red onion, finely sliced into rings

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and grill the bread on both sides.

Set it aside and keep warm.

Grill the bacon in the griddle pan until lightly browned then set aside and keep warm.

Spray the pan lightly with oil and cook the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side.

Add the herbs to the pan and baste the meat with the juices.

To assemble the sandwich, slice each chicken breast in half.

Lay one piece of chicken on a slice of toasted bread, spoon over some sweetcorn, add another slice of bread then the bacon, rocket, onion and finally another slice of bread.

Secure with cocktail sticks and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Fine Dining Lovers (@FineDiningLover)

3903. RIGATONI in BLUSH SAUCE with CHICKEN and BACON

Serves: 4


½ lb uncooked rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
6 slices bacon
2 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
1 can (2 cups) diced tomatoes
fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup water
1 cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup sour cream
fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, add the bacon and cook it until it starts rendering some fat. Add the chicken, onion and garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add diced tomatoes, water, basil, hot sauce, and cook for 10 minutes. Add sour cream and stir. If needed add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the skillet, add the mozzarella cheese and toss it all together to make sure all pasta is covered in the cheese and sauce.

Grate with fresh Parmesan cheese and serve warm.


bacon recipe source: Joanna Cismaru, Jo Cooks (@jocooks_com), September 4, 2012

3890. BASIL-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS with BACON

Servings: 4


6 slices bacon
2 cups coarsely chopped basil
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, halved diagonally
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pure olive oil

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain, then coarsely chop the bacon. In a food processor, puree the bacon, basil and garlic to a paste. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Transfer the stuffing to a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt.

Make a 1-inch horizontal incision in each piece of chicken to form a pocket. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the basil stuffing into each pocket and press gently to close. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.

Put the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Lightly flour the chicken breasts, shaking off any excess, then dip them in the eggs and coat with the bread crumbs.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half of the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side; lower the heat if the chicken browns too quickly. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil and chicken.

Thickly slice the chicken and serve.




bacon recipe source: Marcia Kiesel, Food & Wine, October 1999

3839. CHICKEN and BACON SKEWERS with LEMON THYME BUTTER

makes four servings


500g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
4 rashers bacon
4 corn cobs, cut into 4cm discs
100g unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons chopped lemon thyme

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning during cooking. Meanwhile, place butter, lemon thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and stir until combined.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Drain skewers. Cut bacon into 10cm x 3cm lengths. Wrap a piece of bacon around a cube of chicken and thread onto a skewer. Repeat for remaining bacon and chicken, allowing 3 pieces of chicken to a skewer.

Spray a stovetop grill or non- stick frying pan with oil spray. Cook skewers over medium heat for 4 minutes, turning regularly, until bacon is golden. Remove and place on a lined baking tray.

Place in oven and cook for a further 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.

Steam or boil corn. Spread some of the herbed butter over corn and serve with chicken skewers


bacon recipe source: Kate Murdoch, Taste.com.au, October 2007

3801. BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN NUGGETS

1 package boneless chicken breasts
1 package bacon

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size nuggets. Cut each bacon strip in half. Wrap a piece of bacon around each piece of chicken. Secure with toothpick if necessary. Line the bacon wrapped chicken nuggets on a greased baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until bacon begins to crisp and chicken is no longer pink in the center.

bacon recipe source: Michele, Eat Teach Laugh Craft (@ETLCblog), January 24, 2014

3780. SPICY CHICKEN and BACON PASTIES

Serves 4

2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped

1 large potato (about 250 grams total weight), peeled and cut into small cubes

red chile, deseeded and finely chopped

1 ready-cooked chicken breast, shredded

3 spring onion, thinly sliced, thinly sliced

375 grams pack ready-rolled puff pastry

2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 220ºC/400ºF. Fry the bacon in a non-stick pan over a medium heat for a few mins, until it starts to release its fat. Add the potato, turn up the heat and fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the potato just underdone. Add the chile and cook for a further min. Season generously with black pepper, plus salt to taste.

Tip into a bowl and mix with the shredded chicken and spring onions. Unroll the pastry and, with a rolling pin, roll out until it's large enough to cut out 4 circles of pastry, using a large saucer or a side plate as a guide, discarding the trimmings. Lift onto a baking sheet.

Spoon the filling into the middle of each circle. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little milk, then bring them up to the middle, pinching at the top to make a pasty. Brush with a little milk, then bake for 15 mins or until golden.

bacon recipe source: Good Food magazine, November 2006, BBC Good Food

3773. CHICKEN FAJITA SANDWICHES with GUACAMOLE and BACON

yields 4 sandwiches

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips

1/2 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1/2 onion, sliced into thin strips

8 slices bacon, fried crisp

1/2 recipe guacamole

4 sandwich rolls

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. While the butter is melting, combine the spices in a small bowl and stir to mix. Place the onions and peppers in the hot skillet and stir to coat with the butter. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the strips of chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the chicken, onions, and peppers, and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring often, about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Pile up some of the chicken, peppers, and onions evenly onto each split sandwich roll. Top with 2 slices of bacon and a big scoop of guacamole.

bacon recipe source: Karly Campbell, Buns In My Oven (@Buns_In_My_Oven), March 10, 2013

3743. TUSCAN CHICKEN with OLIVES and BACON

3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and/or breasts (8-10 pieces)

1/4 lb naturally cured lean bacon or pancetta, cubed

olive oil for frying

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup dry white wine, divided

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

2 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped

1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar

fresh ground pepper, to taste

sprigs of rosemary, garnish

Wash and dry the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and let stand. You may want to remove the skin from outside of the thighs and breasts. The skin will provide more moisture (in the form of fat) to the chicken.

Place a large Dutch oven or a large pan (that has a lid) over medium-high heat. If frying the chicken with skin-on, use 1 tablespoon of oil. If frying without skin, use about 3 tablespoons of oil. Place the chicken skin-side down and fry for about 5 minutes, until the skin is crispy and brown. Careful of the splatter, turn the chicken and lightly brown the underside for another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and let stand. Discard any excess oil and fat that remains in the pan leaving only 1 tablespoon. 

While chicken is browning, do all your prep: chop up the bacon, onion, carrot, and celery and set aside. Similarly, prepare finely chop the garlic and rosemary. Slice the olives (into thirds is about the right thickness) and finely chop the anchovies.

Over medium-high, reheat the pan used to fry the chicken and the residual oil. Add the bacon and fry for 1 minute until oil in bacon starts to ‘melt.’ Add the mirepoix (chopped carrots, celery, and onion) to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes or until the bacon has cooked and the veggies are showing slight caramelization.

Add the rosemary and garlic and saute for 1 more minute then add anchovies and olives. Add 1/4 cup of wine to the pan and deglaze. Then add remaining 1/2 cup of wine plus the balsamic and stir everything together. Add browned chicken on top of the mixture and cover with lid. Cook for about 20 minutes over medium-low heat (just enough to keep everything simmering well), turning after 10 minutes. 

After 20 minutes, check chicken for doneness. Juices should run completely clear and internal temperature of chicken should be 165-170ºF. Remove from heat; turn chicken again; cover and let stand for 5 minute while you prepare your plates and sides.

Serve one piece of chicken per person, being sure to spoon a healthy spoonful of olives and veggies and the rich sauce over each piece. Garnish with sprig of rosemary and enjoy.

bacon recipe source: Dale Schierbeck (@EatWriteShoot), Eats Writes Shoots, August 14, 2013

3708. CHICKEN and MUSHROOM FAJITAS with BACON

makes six servings


For the chicken and marinade:
1½ to 2 lbs chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Other fajita ingredients:
2 large bell peppers, cored and sliced into strips
1 medium/large yellow onion, thickly sliced
½ lb mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
4 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled (or buy pre-cooked crumbled bacon)

Serve with: small flour tortillas; pico or salsa, guacamole or diced avocado, sour cream, lettuce, hot sauce

How to make the chicken: Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Slice chicken in half lengthwise so you end up with about ½" thick chicken cutlets. Add chicken to marinade and stir until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 45 min to 1 hour, stirring midway.

To grill chicken: Preheat Grill then reduce heat to med/low (350˚F) and grill chicken 6-8 min per side, rotating midway to create grill marks.

To saute chicken: Heat a large non-stick (cast iron is best - it should be oven safe) skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken with 1-2 tablespoons oil in a single layer, until browned on each side and cooked through (3 min per side).

Preparing veggies: Heat the same non-stick, oven safe pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms with 1-2 tablespoons oil until mushrooms are browned. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same hot pan, sauté onions and bell peppers in 1-2 Tbsp more oil. Stir the veggies every 2 minutes to sear and brown the edges and cook a total of 8 minutes. Season to taste.

Assembling the fajitas: Slice chicken into ¼" thick strips and place over the cooked vegetables. Top with sauteed mushrooms, then cheese and finally crumbled bacon. Place under the broiler in the upper third of the oven for 2-3 minutes or just until cheese is nicely melted. Wrap a stack of tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high 45 seconds to 1 min or until tortillas are very warm. Keep them covered until ready to use. To assemble individual fajitas, start with a warm tortilla, add sour cream and guacamole (if using), then top with lettuce and finally the meat/veggie/mushroom/cheese mixture followed by salsa or hot sauce.


bacon recipe source: Natasha's Kitchen, April 6, 2015

3703. BBQ CHICKEN and BACON TAQUITOS

yields twelve taquitos; serves six


3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cups barbecue sauce (any flavor you like), divided use
1 1/2 cups Monterey-Jack cheese, shredded
12 fajita-size flour tortillas
cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add shredded chicken, chopped bacon and 1 cup of barbecue sauce. Gently stir to combine.

Lay tortillas onto a flat surface. Spread 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Monterey-Jack shredded cheese down the center of each tortilla. Top cheese with 1/3 cup chicken/bacon mixture. Roll each tortilla up tightly. Place all rolled taquitos onto the baking sheet. Spray the tops with cooking spray.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are golden-brown. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes to cool slightly before serving.

Serve taquitos with the remaining barbecue sauce.


bacon recipe source: Holly Lofthouse, Life In The Lofthouse, October 1, 2014

3673. CHICKEN and BACON PASTA with CREAMY CILANTRO-LIME SAUCE

yields 4 servings


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, sliced
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (use less if bottled juice)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2/3 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz spaghetti pasta
reserved cooked pasta water
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
7 strips of bacon, cooked, drained of fat, and chopped

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-hot heat. Generously season sliced chicken with salt and pepper, add to the hot skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until done. Remove sliced chicken from the skillet.

To the same skillet, add minced garlic, lime juice and chicken broth. Cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat, deglazing and scraping the skillet until the liquid is reduced and making sure garlic does not burn and brown too much. Mix in chopped cilantro.

Add heavy cream and milk. Bring to boil, the immediately add cheese and mix in until melted, while boiling. Then, remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, reserving some cooked pasta water.

Add pasta to the sauce, along with the half of the chicken and half of chopped bacon. Mix everything in and season pasta with more salt, if needed.

Top with the remaining half of the chicken, the remaining half of chopped bacon, and more chopped cilantro. 


bacon recipe source: Julia's Album (@JuliasAlbum), August 25, 2015

3629. GRILLED HONEY BBQ BACON CHICKEN KABOBS

serves four


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
12 slices bacon
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped

 

Sauce

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

¾ cup ketchup

¼ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup honey

3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1½ tablespoons yellow mustard

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon chili powder

 

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook over low until ready to use.

 

Skewer chicken pieces, pepper pieces, and bacon onto the skewers. Brush sauce over skewers. Grill over medium heat 4-5 minutes, then rotate, brush with more sauce, and cook another 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through and bacon is cooked to desired doneness.

 

Serve skewers warm with additional sauce for dipping or drizzling. 

 

 

bacon recipe source: Tiffany, Creme de la Crumb (@CremedelaCrumb1), June 24, 2014

3592. CHICKEN and BACON PASTA with SPINACH and TOMATOES in GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

yields four servings


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chicken (chicken breast or tenders)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
5 medium tomatoes, chopped in large cubes
1 cup cooked spinach
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
6 bacon strips, cooked, drained of fat, and chopped
1 and 1/3 cups half and half
1 and 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
10 oz penne pasta

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

In a large skillet, on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add chicken and cook on one side on high heat for 1 minute. While it cooks, sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning. Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 1 minute on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken over again and cook, covered, for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from the pan and keep chicken warm.

To the same pan (but without chicken), add chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper, 1/3 of the chicken (sliced into small strips) and half the bacon (already cooked and drained of fat). Mix everything.

Add half and half and bring to boil. Only after half and half starts boiling, add grated Parmesan cheese - immediately reduce to simmer and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and makes the sauce creamy, only about 1 minute (at most 2 minutes). Then, immediately remove from heat. Season with more crushed red pepper and salt, if needed.

In the mean time bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and drain again.

Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Add remaining half of bacon (cooked and drained of fat). Season with more salt if necessary. Slice the remaining 2/3 of chicken into thin strips. To serve, top the pasta with chicken strips and grated Parmesan cheese.

bacon recipe source: Julia's Album (@JuliasAlbum), February 26, 2015

3566. CHICKEN, BACON and AVOCADO CHOPPED SALAD

yields 4-6 servings


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 avocados, pitted and diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Garlic herb vinaigrette:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasonings
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Salad: Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time wil vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.) Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.

Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, blue cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together until combined.


bacon recipe source: Ali Ebright, Gimme Some Oven (@gimmesomeoven), March 29, 2013; inspired by Martinelli's Little Italy

3536. CHICKEN POBLANO BACON VERMICELLI

½ lb. vermicelli
2 chicken breasts, diced
24 oz. jar of pasta sauce
4½ oz. jar of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 large poblano pepper, diced with seeds
½ lb. bacon, diced
1 cup shredded mozzarella
garlic powder
seasoned pepper
olive oil
grated parmesan (optional)

Pour olive oil in pan. Saute poblano pepper and mushrooms, then set aside. Cook chicken in olive oil with a light coating of seasoned pepper. Meanwhile, boil pasta for 12 minutes or until tender. Fry bacon and drain. On low heat, mix poblano pepper and mushroom mixture, chicken, bacon, vermicelli and pasta sauce until heated throughout. Top with mozzarella cheese. Optional: top with Parmesan cheese.


bacon recipe source: cmwcook (member), BetterRecipes.com (@BetterRecipes)

3633. BACON-WRAPPED SALSA-STUFFED CHICKEN

serves four


Chicken:
4 chicken breasts
12 slices of bacon
toothpicks

Salsa:
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl and mix well. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, so that you can open them up like a book. Flatten them out with a rolling pin. Fill each chicken breast with an equal amount of the salsa mixture and close them up. Roll the bacon strips around the chicken, and pin them in place with the toothpicks. Once the chicken is wrapped, place it in a baking pan and bake 30 to 35 min or until a meat thermometer reads 170 F. Then broil 5 to 6 min or until the bacon is nicely crisp. Serve with salsa.


bacon recipe source: Paleo Leap (@PaleoLeap) 

3624. SPICY CHICKEN and BACON JAMBALAYA

makes four servings


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 lb. bacon, sliced
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup long grain rice
14 oz. can plum tomatoes
12 oz. chicken stock
Juice of half a lemon
Bunch of chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown the chicken for 5-8 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Tip in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Then add the pepper, garlic, bacon and Cajun seasoning, chilli powder and paprika and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir the chicken back in with the rice, add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender. At the last minute squeeze in the lemon and stir in the chopped parsley. 


bacon recipe source: Rob and Kellie, Hungry Escapades (@hungryescapades), August 14, 2013

3573. CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS with BACON GUACAMOLE and SCALLION PESTO

makes four bowls


2 chicken breasts, diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
2 slices bacon
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 avocado
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 bunch scallions, white ends trimmed and discarded
3 tablespoons toasted pepitas
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (and seeded for less heat)
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can Mexi-corn, drained
1/2 cup crumbed cotija cheese
chives for garnish (optional)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the black rice in a rice cooker, or your favorite stove-top method.

In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic salt, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mix over the diced chicken until coated all over. Set aside.

Render the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When crispy, remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Crumble with fingers. Taste one to make sure the pigs did it right.

Back in the skillet, drain all but about 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and add the chicken. Sear the chicken until browned all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

In a small sauce pan, bring the teaspoon oil to a medium heat. Add the jalapeno and sizzle for a minute. Add the black beans and corn; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low while you finish the rest of the meal. Stir once in a while.

In a food processor, combine the scallions, garlic, toasted pepitas, 2 tablespoons, lime juice and a pinch of salt. With the motor running, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a thin stream until you get a nice pesto consistency.

In a small bowl, combine the avocado, bacon crumbles, the remaining tablespoons of lime juice and a small pinch of salt. Mash until you get a guacamole of the most unearthly caliber.

Finally, place a small heaping of black rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with baby spinach leaves, cooked chicken, a few spoonfuls of the black bean/corn mixture, a healthy dollop of the bacon guacamole and the scallion pesto. Garnish with a little bit of the crumbled cotija cheese.


bacon recipe source: Bev Weidner, Bev Cooks (@bevcooks), December 12, 2012