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.