Juicy baked chicken breasts topped with cream cheese, jalapenos, more cheese, and bacon!
Servings : 4serves
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 25 minutesmins
Resting Time 5 minutesmins
Total Time 40 minutesmins
Ingredients
4slicesthick cut bacon,diced
1tablespoonvegetable oil
1tablespoonbutter
4(1-pound, total)boneless, skinless chicken breasts,pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
salt and fresh ground black pepper,to taste
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonsmoked or sweet paprika
6ouncescream cheese
4 to 5jalapeño peppers,seeded and cut into long strips or diced
4ouncesshredded white and yellow cheddar cheese
chopped fresh parsley,for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Add diced bacon to a large skillet and cook until crispy over medium-high heat.
Remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Do not discard the bacon grease.
Return the skillet to the burner and add vegetable oil to the remaining bacon grease.
Pound chicken breasts to a 1/4-inch thickness and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Place the chicken breasts in the skillet. If your skillet isn't large enough to accommodate all the pieces without overcrowding, you may need to cook the chicken in batches. Sear the chicken for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Flip the chicken breasts, add butter, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and transfer them to the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
Return skillet to heat and add in the cream cheese; cook for 1 minute, or until smooth and creamy.
Add dollops of the cream cheese over the chicken breasts in the baking dish.
Take half of the bacon and add on top of the cream cheese.
Arrange strips of jalapeño peppers over the bacon and cream cheese.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 17 to 19 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Garnish with remaining diced bacon and fresh parsley, and serve.
Notes
Chicken: To ensure even cooking, pound the chicken breasts to a 1/4-inch thickness. Chicken thighs can replace chicken breasts but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Spice Level: Modify the jalapeno quantity based on your heat preference. You can also use pickled jalapenos.
Prep Ahead: You can assemble the dish a day ahead, refrigerate it, then bake it as directed.
Bacon: You can substitute traditional bacon with turkey or vegetarian bacon.
Cheeses: Opt for lower-fat or non-dairy cream cheese, and choose your preferred shredded cheese like Monterey Jack or Colby.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.