Creamy Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken

This is one of the many (many!) pins I've saved on Pinterest.  It looked good so I saved it and I finally thought I would make it.  I had chicken thighs in the fridge (thinking I would just do my simple roasted chicken thighs with one of my Penzeys spices.  But here was this recipe as I was scrolling through my pins looking for ideas for the coming week - and she said chicken thighs would work too.  And I had milk and cream in the fridge - no extra stops at the store to get special ingredients.  Win!  It did take longer (as per usual) than the blogger said (could have been how long it took the bacon - I used what I had left in the fridge, a half pound - to cook).  And I skipped the parsley.



Ingredients

1/3 cup honey
3 level tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, (or 3-4 cloves crushed garlic)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to season
5 skinless and boneless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
1/2 cup diced bacon, trimmed of rind and fat (I used 4 small bacon rashers)
1/3 cup cream (light or reduced fat) *SEE NOTES FOR SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS
1 cup milk (skim, 2% or full fat - almond milk may be used for a dairy free option)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (corn flour) mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large, shallow dish, combine the honey, mustard, garlic, oil and salt to taste (not too much salt if serving
with bacon as the bacon will add a salty flavor when served). Coat chicken evenly in the sauce. Set aside.
2. Heat a nonstick pan (or skillet) over medium heat. Fry bacon until crispy; transfer to a plate. To the same pan,
sear chicken fillets on each side in the oil left over from the bacon until just beginning to brown (about 3
minutes per side -- not completely cooked through as we will finish them in the sauce).
3. Add any remaining honey mustard sauce into the pan along with the cream and milk. Bring to a simmer while
stirring occasionally to mix the flavors through the sauce (about 3 minutes), until the chicken is cooked
through. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate.
4. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the centre of the pan, mixing it through the sauce until it thickens. Place
chicken back into the pan; coat with the sauce. Top with the bacon and garnish with parsley.
5.Serve over steamed / roasted vegetables for lower cal options. Also great with pasta, rice or mashed
potatoes!

Baked Potato Salad

I have been making this recipe for years, but am now finally blogging it!

I don't use reduced-fat anything, so I used regular sour cream.  I recommend making the bacon extra crispy.  Otherwise, you'll end up with limp bacon, which isn't very appealing!

I found this recipe on Pinterest, originally, but I can't find the link at the moment.  

Baked Potato Salad

4 pounds potatoes, peeled

15 slices bacon

1 (16 ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons dried chives

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, and allow to cool to room temperature. Dice once cooled.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool, and crumble the bacon into a large bowl.

Place the cooled potatoes into the bowl with the bacon, and mix in the sour cream, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, chives, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Pasta with Sweet Peas and Bacon Bread Crumbs

Chris saw this recipe on the cover of a recent issue of Relish magazine, which comes in our newspaper once a month.  He wanted to try it AND make it himself!  So far we've had it twice.  The flavors are bright and fresh.  We will be making this many more times in the future!

Pasta with Sweet Peas and Bacon Bread Crumbs

3 slices bacon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup panko or dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
8 oz uncooked spaghetti or penne
1 1/4 cups frozen green peas
2 oz baby spinach (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 Tbsp drippings in pan.  Add butter and garlic to drippings; stir until fragrant.  Add panko and cook stirring constantly until golden, about 2 minutes.  Let cool.  Crumble bacon into panko mixture.  Add 2 Tbsp cheese.

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas in final two minutes of cooking.  Drain, reserving 2/3 cup cooking water.  Return pasta and peas to pan.  Stir in 1/2 cup reserved water, spinach, remaining cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir 1/4 cup panko mixture into pasta.  If mixture looks dry, add remaining reserved water.  Divide among serving bowls; top with remaining panko mixture.

Serves 4

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

This isn't very good for you.  But OH is it worth it!

Lately I've been tweaking recipes, either because I don't have exactly what the recipe calls for or I want to jazz it up a bit.  Here is what I did instead:

• I never buy garlic salt, so I used minced garlic.  I think it was a little less than 1/2 tsp.
• I've never even heard of onion salt!  I chopped up 2 green onions from the garden instead.
• I use penne all the time.  I thought gemelli would be more fun!
• When I read this recipe I was surprised it didn't have any mustard in it.  So I added about 2 Tbsp of dijon.  I think the sauce would have tasted flat without it, so I highly recommend adding it.
• Next time I think I'd also add some thyme to it.

This recipe appeared in the September/October issue of Taste of Home.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic dalt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups sliced cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs

My additions:
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp thyme
chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to directions for al dente.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat cream and cream cheese over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.  Stir in one cup of cheese, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper until blended.

In a bowl, combine chicken, bacon, ham, and pasta.  Add sauce.  Toss to coat.  Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with bread crumbs.  Bake, uncovered 18-22 minutes or until heated through.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese

What a yummy mac and cheese!  Although it doesn't call for much beer, it's just the right amount to make a very good sauce.  And the bacon takes it over the top.

I used a special reserve extra sharp cheddar which has a great taste, but doesn't melt well.  The texture of my sauce was a little grainy.  The fontina is tangy enough, so I think next time I'll make it with regular cheddar instead of something quite so sharp.

I halved the recipe -- as written you can make it in a 9 x 13 pan which will feed a crowd!  Plus it's awfully rich, so you can't eat as much as you THINK you can.

This recipe comes from the February/March 2013 issue of Taste of Home.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese

1 pkg (16 oz) elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup amber beer (I used Sam Adams Boston Lager)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups (8 oz) shredded fontina cheese
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tbsp minced chives
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Stir in the flour, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the milk, beer and cream.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat.  Stir in 2 cups of cheddar, the fontina, and 1 Tbsp of the Parmesan until melted.  Add chives.

Drain macaroni.  Stir into sauce.  Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.  Top with crumbled bacon.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Bacon Egg Breakfast Cups

The boyfriend found this recipe mentioned on lifehacker.  I tried to make it on a regular morning before work, and it does take longer than regular bacon and eggs, so it's more of a weekend treat type of dish.  Especially since I have to partially cook the bacon first before I can put it in the muffin cups.  The first time I forgot to spray the pan and I'm still working on cleaning that pan of the stuck on egg, so don't forget!!  And I cooked them for longer than the eight minutes that Kirbie recommends, as neither of us care for runny yolks.  This would make a cute dish to serve if you have breakfast company and don't want to be stuck at the stove making eggs for everybody; and if there are kids, it's finger food!

Bacon Egg Breakfast Cups

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

4 eggs
4 slices of precooked bacon (if you are using raw bacon, make sure to heat it up so it is cooked about 50% before placing it into the molds)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray muffin tin with pam spray.
2. Line muffin pans with bacon so that it circles each mold.
3. Break an egg into the center of each mold. Bake for about 8 minutes or until egg is cooked to the doneness of your liking. Serve while warm.

Chicken Supreme

We have been making this recipe for years!  It is delicious and simple, but tastes fancy and complicated.  My only complaint is the crock pot timing -- it's only 3-4 hours, which means you can't make it while you're at work all day.

The recipe comes from Pillsbury's Slow Cooker Recipes, January 2002.

Chicken Supreme

2 slices bacon
6 boneless chicken breast halves
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp dry sherry, if desired (I've made it both ways and honestly I can't tell the difference!)
3 oz sliced Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp chopped chives

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add chicken to bacon drippings and brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to slow cooker.  Top with mushrooms and soup.  Cook 3-4 hours on low.

Top mixture with cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives.  Cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted..

Green Bean and Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

When I made this, I thought it was good....but it was missing something.  I had skipped the tarragon because I've never used it before and I didn't have any.  The next day I thought, "What about some dill?"  I added that to the leftovers and it became delicious!

Next time, I might bake the potatoes in olive oil and rosemary, rather than boil them like a traditional potato salad.  I think it might add some carmelized taste to it, which would just increase the yumminess.

This recipe comes from the August 2011 issue of Cuisine at Home.

Green Bean and Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp minced shallots (I used onion)
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Salad

3 lbs red or yellow new potatoes, cut into 1 inch wedges
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise*
6 strips of bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon

Whisk all ingredients for vinaigrette in a small bowl and set aside.

Cover potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil.  Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.   Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Pour 3/4 cup of vinaigrette over warm potatoes.  Let cool 20-30 minutes.

Boil beans in same water until tender, 3-4 minutes.  Drain.  Transfer beans to a large bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette.  Set aside to cook 20-30 minutes.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Gently stir potatoes, scallions, tarragon and remaining 1/4 cup vinaigrette into beans.  Season salad with salt and pepper and top with bacon.

*  "Halving them crosswise" would add a ridiculous amount of time to this recipe!  I just snapped them in half when I was trimming them.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Yes, ANOTHER corn chowder recipe!

This one has white wine and shrimp in it.  And it was FABULOUS.  It comes from the September 2011 issue of Woman's Day. 

We ate it with a simple salad and cheddar-garlic biscuits Chris made -- the recipe for that is on the Bisquick box.  They were possibly THE BEST biscuits I've ever had.  Ever.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

4 oz sliced bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup dry white wine
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup corn kernels (cut fresh from 3 small ears or frozen and thawed)
3/4 lb medium peeled and deveined shrimp (I buy cooked shrimp and add them at the very end just to take the chill off -- you don't want them to overcook)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat- leaf parsley, chopped (I skipped this)
crusty bread for serving

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5-6 minutes.  (I use kitchen shears to cut it raw so you don't have to deal with cutting up hot, greasy bacon)  Transfer to paper towel lined plate.  Break into pieces.

Wipe out the saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt, pepper and cook, strring ocassionally, for 5 minutes.  (I added the celery at this point because I wanted to make sure it wasn't crunchy).

Add the potatoes, wine and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 12-15 minutes.  Stir in the celery, corn, shrimp and cream.  Simmer until the shrimp are no opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes.  Top with back and parsley.  Serve with bread, if desired.

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

Words cannot describe how delicious this recipe is! With grilling season right around the corner, we will be making this A LOT. (We like to grill the chicken -- it is tastier that way!)

It comes from Simple & Delicious. Chris hates Gorgonzola, so I pile it on mine separately. :-)

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, tomatoes, onion, bacon and Gorgonzola cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, basil, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.