Ingredients
4-6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon dried chives
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, white or yellow – I use a little of both
chopped fresh parsley
sliced green scallions
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish. Set it aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Scoop it out and set it aside — but don’t toss the bacon grease! That’s liquid gold.
Add a little vegetable oil to the bacon grease and keep the pan hot.
Pound your chicken breasts to about ¼ to ½ inch thick, then season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Add the chicken to the hot pan (you might need to do this in batches). Cook for 2–3 minutes on one side until it’s golden brown, then flip it. Add some butter and cook another 2 minutes until the other side is browned too.
Once the chicken is seared, place it in the greased baking dish and set it aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, and chives until smooth and creamy. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if you need to.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto each chicken breast and spread it out.
Top each one with half of the crispy bacon, then sprinkle shredded cheese over everything.
Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
Pull it out of the oven, top with the rest of the bacon, fresh parsley, and sliced scallions — then serve it up!