I love this chicken recipe and have served it both ways over the years, as a main course and also as a hearty sandwich. As a main dish entrée, I like to sauté some yellow and green squash in butter with a bit of roasted garlic and fresh ground pepper with some homemade “smashed” potatoes and I’ll give you my recipe for those also. But as always, incorporate your favorite side dishes and veggies as you’d like, so many of you are really growing with your culinary skills and you should be really proud of yourselves for learning, trying, creating and accomplishing yourselves in the kitchen and dining room. I’m proud of you 

What you will need for four people:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts lightly pounded
8 slices of slab or thick cut bacon
2 medium fresh tomatoes cut and diced
3 green onions (scallions) chopped
½ cup of barbecue sauce (I like a little brown sugar and honey in mine)
Shredded cheddar cheese

Heat your grill to a medium heat or your oven to 400 degrees. On a sprayed or buttered sheet pan (whenever you cook, if you spray or grease the pans first, your food won’t stick and clean-up is so much easier) place your chicken breasts and brush each one evenly and generously with barbecue sauce. Place two slices of bacon in an x across the top of each. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Add your diced tomatoes and chopped onion on top and drizzle with about a tablespoon more of barbecue sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and bake about 2 minutes more to melt cheese. Chicken juices should run clear (always!) and bacon should be crisp…..man, I always get hungry when I write these articles!

Smashed potatoes for four:

5 good sized red russet potatoes (if you use the little red russets that will be fine but you will need about 4 per person for a good sized side serving)

2 tablespoons of lightly salted butter

1/3 cup sour cream or ¼ cup plain yogurt

2-4 cloves of minced, roasted or fresh garlic (garlic salt or powder is fine if that’s what you have on hand, just lessen the salt added later)

About 15 sprigs of curly parsley loosely chopped

A few grinds of fresh sea salt and ground black pepper (you know I love those little McCormick spice grinders, they are so handy)

You can also add in a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese or some grated cheddar if you’d like to.

Wash and cut red russets into chunks leaving skins on. Cover potatoes in pot with cold water and cook over medium high heat until tender. When done drain well and add additional ingredients. Blend together using a potato masher by hand (no mixers or whipped potatoes here, good old fashioned mashed and smashed!)

Well, there you have it and remember that if you’d like, you can always use this chicken for sandwiches. Serve with some potato or macaroni salad or Cole slaw (we love to balance our meals, don’t we?!)

As always, enjoy and have a wonderful and blessed week!
Sue