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Baked Crack Chicken

Dive into this Baked Crack Chicken recipe loaded with succulent chicken, smoky bacon, and creamy cheese, spiced perfectly with garlic, smoked paprika, and Italian seasonings. A perfect meal for those cozy nights!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices of thick-cut bacon diced
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (totaling approximately 1 pound), sliced horizontally
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper as required
  • 1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 4 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
  • 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese white or yellow variety is acceptable
  • Fresh parsley finely chopped for garnishing
  • Green scallions thinly sliced for garnishing

Instructions

  • Commence by preheating the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). A 9x13 baking dish should be lightly greased to prevent sticking.
  • The chicken breasts should be evenly pounded to achieve a thickness of approximately 1/4-inch. Once achieved, season them uniformly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  • Employing a sizable skillet, it should be set over medium-high heat. Upon achieving the desired temperature, introduce the diced bacon and allow it to attain a crisp texture. Subsequently, the crispy bacon should be extracted and reserved for later.
  • The residual bacon fat in the skillet should not be discarded. Instead, reintroduce the skillet to the heat and combine the bacon fat with the vegetable oil. This will act as the cooking medium for the chicken breasts. Ensure the chicken is golden brown on each side. Should there be a surplus of chicken that cannot fit into the skillet, partition the chicken and cook in batches.
  • Following the browning of the chicken, incorporate butter into the skillet. After this, use the chicken stock to deglaze the skillet. This process will lift the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • The chicken breasts, once adequately cooked, should be meticulously arranged in the pre-greased baking dish. Any remaining cooking juices from the skillet should be drizzled upon the chicken.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, amalgamate the softened cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Ensure a homogeneous mixture is attained.
  • Subsequently, allocate and spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto each chicken breast.
  • The chicken breasts should then be garnished with half of the previously prepared crispy bacon. Following this, the shredded cheddar cheese should be uniformly distributed over the chicken breasts.
  • The baking dish, now filled with the seasoned chicken breasts, should be placed in the oven. Allow for an uninterrupted baking period of 15 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the cheese is adequately melted with a slight browning on top.
  • Upon completion, remove the dish from the oven. Final garnishing should be done using the reserved bacon, freshly chopped parsley, and thinly sliced green scallions.
  • Serve promptly.
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