Ranch Style Chicken

So I picked this recipe because the pictures looked yummy. And it was yummy. However, the name should have enlightened me to something. When The Pioneer Woman calls a dish "Ranch Style," she isn't just being cute. What she's really saying is, "Unless you're a ranch hand burning oodles of calories a day, you have no business eating bacon-and-cheese-topped chicken that has been cooked in bacon grease, but here is the recipe anyway because I'm evil like that."

I guess I'm evil like that too, because I am going to go ahead and recommend that you make this meal (complete with mashed potatoes) and enjoy! We did!

*Note, my kids inhaled this, which made me quite happy since Nathan is super picky and Hannah is in the 10th percentile for weight.

printable recipe

Ranch Style Chicken

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup honey

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoons salt

dash of crushed red pepper

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person unless they are huge like ours were, the 4 of us shared 2 and had leftovers)

bacon, 3 slices per chicken breast

cheddar cheese, grated, a handful per breast

canola oil

Whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl. 

Pound the chicken breasts to 1/2-3/4 inch thick and trim off excess fat.

Marinate the chicken in the sauce for 1-3 hours (covered in the refrigerator).

Fry the bacon, reserving the grease.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat some of the bacon grease and an equal amount of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, a couple of minutes per side.

Place chicken on a baking sheet and cook in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with a handful of cheese and 3 pieces of bacon.

Return to oven and cook for 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling.

Serve with mashed potatoes and enjoy!

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

Smoky Black Bean Soup

Look who cooked dinner for me a couple of nights ago? My awesome husband, Jared! He made his amazing black bean soup, adapted from a recipe on foodnetwork.com. It is a Southwestern-style soup that we garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.

 
*Note: with most soup recipes I like to make extra for leftovers but the garlic and onion get pretty strong as this one sits. The recipe serves 3-4, so only double it if you have a crowd to feed!

Smoky Black Bean Soup

printable recipe

5 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel)
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Chop the bacon.

At this point, your dog will run over to see what that amazing smell is. Or maybe that is just our dog.

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely.

Stir cilantro into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.

Serve with the garnishes.