Bacon Chicken Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

3 eggs
Italian Bread Crumbs

Vegetable Oil
8-10 slices of hickory smoked bacon, chopped
1 lb. freshly grated cheddar cheese (or any type of cheese you want to use)
4 tbsp. salted butter

4 tbsp. flour
2 ½ cups whole milk

Salt & Pepper
2 tsp. Ground Mustard
Elbow Macaroni

In sauce pan, saute bacon pieces until crispy. 

Drain bacon on a paper towel, but keep the excess grease in the pan. Add vegetable

oil so the oil is deep enough to fry the chicken pieces, roughly 1 inch. Egg wash, then crumb

coat chicken cubes, then place in heated oil, fry until crispy and golden brown.

Before beginning cheese sauce, bring water to boil and begin boiling the elbow macaroni.

For the cheese sauce, melt 4 tbsp. butter over medium heat. (Careful not to burn!)

Then add 4 tbsp. flour to melted butter, whisk until combined, cook for 5 minutes whisking frequently.

Add 2 1/2 cups whole milk and 2 tsp. ground mustard,

whisk until combined, cook for 5 more minutes, whisking frequently.

The mixture should turn gravy like. Turn heat to low. Add small amounts of the mixture to a beaten
egg in aseparate bowl to temper the egg. When egg is tempered,

add back into the pan and blend everything together, add salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add in 1 lb. of freshly grated cheddar cheese.

Whisk everything together, and continue to cook.

Sauce should become thick and creamy.
In large pan, combine macaroni, chicken, bacon and cheese sauce.
Toss to coat all ingredients evenly, serve while hot.

Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat sauce pan to medium…cook chopped bacon on medium heat until crispy, remove from pan and drain on paper towel…leave excess bacon grease in pan. Add vegetable oil to bacon grease, deep enough to cook cubed chicken. Egg wash, then crumb coat the chicken, then fry in oil until golden brown, drain on paper towel.

Bring water to boil, prepare elbow macaroni.

While macaroni is boiling, prepare cheese sauce. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in pan on medium heat (careful not to burn) and add 4tbsp flour. Whisk together until combined, cook for 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Add milk and ground mustard, whisk until combined….cook for 5 minutes. The mixture should turn gravy-like. Slowly add tablespoons of mixture to 1 beaten egg in a bowl….continue to whisk while adding as to not scramble the egg. (This is tempering) When the egg is tempered, add back into pan with the flour/butter/milk mixture. Add salt and pepper. (Paprika if desired) Then add all the cheese, continue to whisk until cheese is fully melted. (Roughly 5 minutes)

In large pan, combine drained macaroni, bacon pieces, crispy chicken and cheese sauce, stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Serve while hot. 

Dill Parmesan Red Potatoes

Need a quick and easy starch? Start to finish these take about 15 minutes, and are so scrumptious! 

Ingredients:
20 small red potatoes, quartered

4-6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons dry Dill Weed

Parmesan Cheese

Minced Garlic

Garlic Salt

Boil potatoes until fork tender. 

While potatoes are cooking, melt butter, dill, garlic, and garlic salt together.
You can do this in the microwave, or in a pan.

Drain potatoes, return to pan. Pour butter mixture over potatoes, toss with Parmesan, serve.

Alice Springs Chicken, anyone?

WARNING: If you are on a diet...please steer clear of this. It is *NOT* diet food!

Most of us have been to Outback Steakhouse...one of my favorite dishes is Alice Springs Chicken. Juicy chicken breast covered with mushrooms, bacon and cheese and a yummy honey mustard dipping sauce.

After a few trials (and one bad, BAD error) I have come as close as possible to duplicating the recipe from Outback. Tonight, I served it with my Dill Parmesan Red Potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10-12 Mushrooms, sliced
6 slices of bacon, cooked
1 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Honey Mustard (I use Hellman's in the squeeze container)
4 tablespoons butter
Season Salt

*The night prior to preparing the dish, marinade (unfrozen) Chicken Breasts in a plastic baggie with the Honey Mustard, roughly 4-6 tablespoons.

When you're ready to prepare the chicken, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While oven is heating, pan fry 6 slices of bacon. Set aside.

While bacon grease is still hot, melt butter in the pan, saute mushrooms in
bacon grease/butter and a few dashes of season salt until cooked. 

By this time, your oven should be heated to 350 degrees, place chicken  breasts in a baking dish,
sprinkle tops with season salt. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until juices run clear.

When chicken is cooked, put out of the oven and layer with mushrooms, bacon slices and Colby Jack Cheese. Return to oven on low broil for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. 

Voila!