Loaded Barbecue Chicken

Barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheese is my absolute flavor combination. Whenever I order a burger at a restaurant, it is ALWAYS a barbecue bacon cheeseburger. My favorite dip is barbecue chicken dip, which has…(you guessed it)…barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheese. Soooo good!

This recipe is my new favorite chicken dish. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are pan-fried and then topped with a homemade barbecue sauce and cheese. The chicken is then baked in the oven so the cheese melts and is then topped with bacon, sour cream, and scallions. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

You will LOVE this chicken.

*The barbecue sauce makes more than you need for this recipe…save it! You can either store it in the refrigerator or freeze it.

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground mustard
Salt and pepper
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded to about ¾ inch thickness
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
6 slices of bacon, cooked till crisp then crumbled
6 tbsp. sour cream
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium size saucepan, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, apple cider vinegar, ground mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with a bit of salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium heat (350 degrees) and add the olive oil. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until one side has lightly browned. Then, flip the chicken and cook on the other side for another 3-5 minutes (or until the chicken is almost cooked through). Remove the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to catch the excess juices.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken side by side in a casserole dish. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the barbecue sauce over each piece of chicken and spread it out to coat the chicken (save the rest of the barbecue sauce for another day…it even freezes well). Distribute the cheese evenly over each piece of chicken. Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 6-8 minutes.