Description
Discover how to make irresistible Baked Crack Chicken Breasts with a creamy, cheesy topping. Perfect your cooking skills with this easy, mouthwatering recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 slices of turkey bacon diced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of butter
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (totaling approximately 1 pound (454 g)), sliced horizontally
- Salt and freshly ground pepper as required
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) of low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) of smoked paprika
- 4 ounce (113 g) s of softened cream cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of Italian seasoning
- 4 ounce (113 g) s of shredded cheddar cheese white or yellow variety is acceptable
- Fresh parsley finely chopped for garnishing
- Green scallions thinly sliced for garnishing
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by applying a light coat of grease.
- Flatten the chicken breasts evenly to about 1/4-inch thick and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and once hot, add the diced turkey bacon, cooking until it becomes crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside.
- Keep the bacon drippings in the skillet, return it to the heat, and add vegetable oil. Cook the chicken breasts until both sides are golden brown. If necessary, cook them in batches.
- After browning the chicken, add butter to the skillet and use chicken stock to deglaze it, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Arrange the cooked chicken in the greased dish, and pour any leftover juices from the skillet over the chicken.
- In a separate bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning until smooth.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on each chicken breast.
- Top the chicken with half of the crispy bacon, then sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over them.
- Place the baking dish in the oven, baking for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Take the dish out of the oven, and garnish with the reserved bacon, freshly chopped parsley, and thinly sliced green scallions before serving.
Notes
- Flatten the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or rolling pin for even cooking and seasoning absorptionnCombine bacon drippings with vegetable oil to boost the chicken’s flavor during fryingnEnsure cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing for a smooth spread
