Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken and Brown Rice

     Hey y'all! We're grilling tonight! Well I am, you can bake yours at 400° F for 30 or 40 minutes (just put some PAM in the bottom of the pan), but I'm taking mine outside. You better bookmark or print this page because you'll fall in love with the taste of this chicken. Let's go!

Ingredients

1. 4 Chicken Breasts cut into strips
2. Brown Sugar
3. Salt
4. Pepper
5. Chili Powder
6. Bacon
7. Garlic Powder
8. Brown Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes or until juices run clear

Recipe

     So to begin, like always I cleaned my Chicken. Then I cut it into small strips, about one per piece of Bacon that I had. Next I lightly seasoned the Chicken with the Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, and Garlic Powder.

     Once I had my Chicken seasoned to perfection, I wrapped each piece in a strip of Bacon.

     Then I rolled them in Brown Sugar until they were thoroughly coated.

     Now we're ready to grill.

     Leave them on the grill until all of the juices run clear and the meat is cooked through.

     For the rice, follow the instructions on the package. For mine, all I had to do was slightly open the bag and microwave for 90 seconds.

Conclusions

     Completely honest, I wouldn't mind eating these again tomorrow for lunch, and dinner, and again right now. These were the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and I should have made more because everyone was clamoring for more. I would recommend these to anyone, and knowing that you can make them in the oven too makes these even more appealing, because you don't have to have a grill to make them.

     The Brown Sugar caramelized beautifully, and paired off with the Chili Powder beautifully. Out of all of the meals I've made this summer, this one is my favorite. And it's surprisingly simple and easy to make!

     I think I'm in love.

Enjoy!

Original Recipe by DiaryOfARecipeAddict.blogspot.com

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

     Hey y'all, sorry that it's been a few days, but I'm back! Tonight, I decided to take on one of the greatest recipes that I've ever gotten at a restaurant... Louisiana Chicken Pasta! Let's go!

Ingredients - Sauce

1. 1 tbsp Butter
2. 1 small Red Bell Pepper diced (optional)
3. 1 small Yellow Bell Pepper diced(optional)
4. 3/4 small Onion (the original calls for red onion but I didn't have any on hand) (optional)
5. 3 Garlic cloves minced
6. 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (I would suggest using 1/2 or 3/4 tsp instead, because it gives a LOT of heat)
7. 1 1/4 pints Heavy Whipping Cream
8. 1 cup Chicken Broth
9. 4 tbsp Fresh Basil thinly sliced
10. 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
11. 1 cup mushrooms (optional)
12. Salt and Pepper

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: until done as desired

Servings: 6

Recipe
     To begin, I diced my Red and Yellow Bell Peppers and my Onion. Then I melted my butter in a skillet and added the Red and Yellow Bell Peppers and Onion to the Butter, and cooked the vegetables until they were crisp.

     After the vegetables were ready, I added the Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper and sautéed the mixture for around two minutes.

     Then, I added the Heavy Whipping Cream and Chicken Broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes. After, I added the Basil and the Parmesan Cheese to the mix and seasoned with Salt and Pepper, letting it sit and reduce while I made the Chicken and Pasta.

Ingredients - Chicken

1. 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2. 5 Chicken Breasts
3. 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
4. 1 cup Milk
5. 3/4 cup Breadcrumbs
6. 2 tbsp Flour

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: until golden and crisp on outside and no longer pink on inside, juices run clear

Recipe

     After I finished cleaning the Chicken, I pounded it until it was a half inch to an inch thick. I should have pounded it until it was only a quarter inch thick, but I don't have a mallet and had to use the back of a spoon and it was difficult. After I had the Chicken flattened, I put the Parmesan Cheese, Breadcrumbs, and Flour on a plate and mixed it, and poured the Milk into a large bowl. Next I pressed the Chicken into the breading mix, dipped it in the Milk, and repressed it in the breading mix.

     Then I poured the oil into a skillet and put the Chicken into the skillet to make the breading crispy. After the breading was crisp, I put them into the oven at 350°F for around forty minutes to cook the insides.

Ingredients - Pasta

1. 1 package (12 oz) Bow-Tie Pasta
2. Salt
3. 1 quart Water

Recipe

    Just follow the instructions on the package, cooking the pasta until the pasta is firm but tender.

Conclusions

     I didn't let the sauce reduce enough, when I served it, it was still soupy and not thick and creamy like it was supposed to be, and my vegetables weren't cooked all of the way through. The Chicken, although thick, was delicious and the breading was crunchy and had a nice texture. This is definitely a dish that I'm going to make again in the future. I hope that you guys enjoy this copycat recipe as much as we did.

     Keep on cooking! Sorry It's been so long since the last post!

Enjoy!

Original Recipe by Food.com