I’ve been to Chili’s Restaurant a couple of times, and on both visits I had my favorite dish—Monterey Chicken. I loved it so much that I adapted the recipe for my family. After the first time I made it the consensus was that I should omit the tomatoes, so I did. That’s the beauty of making restaurant favorites at home; you can change it up and make it to your liking.
This recipe is so easy and delicious that I make it at least once a month.
Here’s what I do:
Step 1: I flatten out 6 chicken breasts by placing each breast in plastic wrap and pound with my rolling pin.
Step 2: I start frying up the bacon. I use way more than Chili’s, but that’s only because I’m of the “more bacon the better” school.
Step 3: I flash-fry the seasoned, flattened chicken breasts on both sides. Seasoning is very important. I use Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, and Tony’s Chachere’s.
Step 4: I top each of the breasts with barbecue sauce (sometimes I use Bull’s Eye, sometimes I use Michael’s homemade wonder, and sometimes I just use what I have on hand.)
Step 5: I cover the baking dish with foil, and put it in my pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes. (350°)
Step 6: While the barbecue sauce covered breasts are baking in the oven, I shred my cheese. On this night I didn’t have any Monterey Jack (which is what I prefer), but I have learned that Cheddar cheese works just as well.
Step 7: When the timer goes off, I take the baking dish out of the oven and top each breast with an ample amount of bacon. Then I top the bacon with the cheese.
Step 8: I bake for an additional 10-12-ish minutes until the cheese is all melty and ooey-gooey.
Step 9: I plate it up. On this night I made candied yams, couscous, and green peas.
Step 10: Be prepared to make this dish again. It’s THAT good!
Monterey Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4-6 chicken breasts, flattened
- 1 lb. bacon; 2-4 pieces per breast
- barbecue sauce
- shredded monterey jack (or cheddar) cheese
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- Tony Chachere’s (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Flatten breasts and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and Tony’s.
- Prepare chicken breasts by flash frying on each side.
- Transfer the not-fully cooked breasts to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Top each with barbecue sauce, cover dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Prepare bacon.
- Shred cheese.
- Top chicken with bacon and cheese.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or so, until the cheese is melted. Broiling is optional.
- ENJOY!
YUM! Can’t wait to make these, although I’ll probably wait until we have company so I don’t eat them all myself
OMG… cannot WAIT to try this for dinner tonight! I suppose it’s not exactly Weight Watcher friendly but all in moderation.
PS – love your Juniper Pfaltzgraaf dishes
Holy cow that sounds AMAZING!
Sounds delicious, I will definitely make this! One idea for you Curvy Girl’ers– there have been lots of recipes I’m anxious to make, and I find myself instinctively looking for the ‘print recipe’ button. If you perchance included this feature on your recipes, it would be all sort of amazing! Keep up the good work.
I just changed the menu for tonight and put the pork chops back in the freezer- wow- can’t wait!
Nice recipe!! ON a side not my husband is a chef and he taught me to cook bacon in the oven. Slap it on a sheet pan on some parchment paper and throw it in the oven at 350 till its crisp. No need to fry it on the stove, its so much easier this way and clean up is so much easier:)
Someone might throw something at me (*ducks*), but why are none of our recipes every really very, um, healthy?
*runs away*
Patty, I was thinking the same thing. As delicious as this looks one piece of chicken probably is a whole days worth of calories and fat for me. Can we do a healthy recipes section…maybe.
Maybe try it with turkey bacon and low-fat cheese? Of course, I say a little indulgence never hurts.
I have to disagree, the few have been healthy, the one all on smoothies, or the one on broccoli and one all about salads. Unless I am missing something those are kinda healthy items. This one is even workable, moderation is king.
Oh man.
I might have to make a shrine of you.
This just made my day.
My waistline however, may kick you.
But that’s okay – ’cause I’ve totally got your back, this looks far too kickass to not. Bacon AND cheese. Sign me up. Times three.
The problem with this recipe is… I would eat all of the bacon while the chicken was cooking….
Now I think I need to go to Chili’s for lunch. Thanks for that.
I need for Patrick to make this for me.
this looks quite yum!
OMG, this looks amazing and my ass does not thank you!!
I’m on the lchf diet (yay fat) and this..this is like walking into heaven! Yep, it looks that good. My only concern is that the bbq sauce (wich I couldn’t find in sweden anyway) probably has sugar in it, but I could worm my way around that or replace it somehow. Heh, to be honest I think that even if you replaced the bbq sauce with garbage it couldn’t do much harm to this bacony cheesy goodness. God, i’m salivating. So…Thanks!
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