Smothered Chicken Breasts

I made this chicken dish for dinner last night and it was a big hit. We have chicken a lot and it gets pretty boring if you always cook it the same way. So, I decided to try out a new recipe and it worked out really well. I served it with green beans and the mashed potatoes that I posted about earlier... yum.  What I love most is that the chicken in this dish serves as a blank canvas for the sweet, caramelized onions, salty bacon and yummy cheese to play off of.  Although it's not the healthiest dish in this form, you could certainly make some substitutions to make this good for you, with Canadian bacon or ham and fat free cheese. 

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Smothered Chicken Breasts
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ground sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian spices
- 6-8 strips of bacon
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 cup colby-jack, cheddar and mozzarella cheese mix

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little bit of Italian spices. Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat and then add the chicken breasts. Cook for about 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from heat and keep warm.

Add the strips of bacon to the same pan and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and place on paper towels. Drain the bacon drippings from the pan, reserving about 2 tablespoons.  Sauté the onions in the remaining drippings and sugar until golden brown.

Place chicken breasts on a plate, top with strips of bacon, caramelized onions, and cheese. Allow cheese to melt and serve.

source: modified from allrecipes.com