Who doesn’t love jalapeño poppers? They’re a fantastic appetizer but how about a main dish? This is the recipe to make!
Ingredients
4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 (1-pound, total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
6 ounces cream cheese
4 to 5 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into long strips
4 ounces shredded white and yellow cheddar cheese
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 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.
Pound chicken breasts to a 1/4-inch thickness and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Return skillet to heat and add vegetable oil to the remaining bacon grease.
Add chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook chicken breasts for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the chicken breasts, add butter, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.It does not have to be cook through because it will get more cooking in the oven.
Remove chicken breasts from skillet and arrange in previously 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 cheeses.
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.
Garnish with remaining diced bacon and fresh parsley.
