Monday Night Dinner

Both of these recipes are from, yet again, Pioneer Woman. I just love the things she makes! And she makes it seem so easy! I really enjoy that her recipes are easy but soooo delicious and filling, but not at all pretentious. She lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and she has 4 kids, so she makes a lot of "down-home" comfort food, but in new and different ways! Her website has become a daily staple for me! I decided to make her Ranch Style Chicken and Fluffy New Potatoes tonight, and they turned out amazing. Ryan gave it a 9 out of 10! When I asked him what a 10 would be, he said, "A whole smorgasbord of deliciousness like this!" I love it when he sings my culinary praises! It makes me want to cook more often....which is the entire point of this blog! So here are the recipes so you can make your own 9 meal!




Ranch Style Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Thick cut bacon
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. Paprika
Crushed red pepper (optional - I left this out. Ryan can't handle the heat and I don't like the heat.)
Sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup canola oil

To begin, mix together Dijon, honey, lemon juice, Paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy.

Next, rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry. Individually place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with a mallet. Next, add all the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.

While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.

When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with the canola oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.