Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

It is no secret that pizza is my absolute favorite food. I crave it WAY more often than my husband wants to have it, so when I do get it, I usually just want the traditional tomato sauce version. However, there are a ton of great variations out there that don't taste anything like regular pizza, so I can make them all I want and no one can complain!

This is a simple but delicious white sauce pizza with incredible flavor. It does call for precooked chicken and bacon, but the bacon only takes a minute and leftover cooked chicken is pretty common around my house, probably around yours, too. With those on hand, this comes together faster than Dominos can deliver!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Prep time: 5 min  Bake time: 15 min
Serves 4

1 (13.8 oz) can pizza dough
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

For the Garlic-Ranch Sauce:
2 Tbs sour cream
3 Tbs mayonnaise
2 1/2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp dill
1/8 tsp dried parsley
dash of onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450ºF.  Spread out pizza dough on a pizza pan or sheet pan.  Mix all ingredients together for the garlic-ranch sauce. Spread mixture over the top of the pizza dough. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over top, followed by the chicken, bacon, and tomatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

684 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli & Rice

We all know how I feel about quick and easy.  If a recipe doesn't fit that description, it doesn't even make it on my menu.  Long, complicated recipes that dirty a million dishes?  Ain't nobody got time fo' dat!  When I first saw this recipe, it looked WAY too labor-intensive.  The original source had you prep all the ingredients and then cook each ingredient one at a time.  If I followed their directions exactly it would take forever!  Once I looked a little more closely, though, I realized that with a little multitasking I could get almost everything going at once and have this done in 30 minutes.  Not bad at all!  What you need to do is read the directions all the way through before you start so you can get the chicken, rice, and sauce all cooking at once.  If you're really ambitious, you could even could the veggies at the same time, too, but that would take some serious concentration to keep an eye on everything.  Maybe if I had my sous chef helping me and I wasn't distracted by that catchy new "Fancy" song I had blaring on my stereo.... Anyways, this had excellent flavor and I love having all the flavors combined into one pot of awesomeness.  The final product did end up a little on the salty side, so next time I might reduce some of the salt, but overall it was mighty fine.

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli & Rice

Total time: 30 min
Serves 5

8 slices bacon, diced
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced onion
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles (This makes the dish a little spicy.  Feel free to substitute plain diced tomatoes if you prefer)

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each

Add the diced bacon to a very large skillet or dutch oven and turn heat to medium high. Cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate.  Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes. When done, remove from heat.
 
Add the onion and broccoli to the skillet where you cooked the bacon and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until broccoli is tender and onions are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Top with tomatoes, rice, chicken and bacon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour until just combined. Add in the chicken broth and stir well. Increase heat to high and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add in cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted, then pour in the skillet with the chicken and rice. Stir to combine and serve.

540 calories per serving.

Monterey Chicken

In my last post, I discussed the wonder of the double meat entree.  Well, this is another great 2-meat combo, and just like the last one, bacon is one of the proteins.  Of course, I think you can add bacon to just about anything and it would taste great, so it's no big surprise that this recipe is tasty.  Add BBQ sauce and melted cheese and you're pretty much guaranteed a winner.  I started the huge undertaking of refinishing my kitchen cabinets today, so dinner was pretty low on my priority list, but, like all my favorite recipes, this comes together really quickly and easily yet it's nice enough even for company, so it was a perfect dinner after an exhausting day!

Monterey Chicken
Total time: 20 min
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1 cup Colby jack cheese, shredded
1 (14 oz) can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

357 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

BBQ Bacon Cheddar Chops

I have always been an animal lover; cows, pigs, chickens - they ALL taste great!  The pig is the most interesting animal in my opinion because each part of it tastes so different.  Pork chops, ham, bacon, ribs, sausage - it's hard to believe they all come from the same amazing animal.  I love each kind of meat for it's unique flavor, but you know what's even better than a great piece of meat?  How about two of 'em together!  This awesome recipe puts pork and bacon on the same plate and it is absolutely terrific.

BBQ Bacon Cheddar Chops
Prep time: 10 min  Bake time: 30 min
Serves 4

4 pork chops
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 (2.5 oz) pkg real bacon bits
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the bacon bits, bread crumbs, & 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

Brush the pork chops with BBQ sauce and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place chops in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking.

Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping over halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 2 minutes, or till cheese is melted.

Garnish with chopped green onions.

669 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Roll Me Out the Door Roll-ups

If you are a big fan of health food, you might as well quit reading this post right now.  Opposed to processed meats and prepackaged convenience foods?  Turn away quickly.  Vegan?  Run screaming in terror.  This recipe is pure, unadulterated junk food.  Perfect, greasy, cheesy, meaty deliciousness.  And some days, that exactly what I want.  I think this recipe was supposed to be an appetizer, divided into 12 small servings, but I served it as a main dish cut into only 5 pieces and still wanted more.  Definitely not my best diet day, but it sure tasted good.  If it hadn't been for my extreme self control, you'd be rolling me out the door right about now.  That, and I had to share with the rest of my equally desirous family.  Next time, I'm making 2.

Club Roll-ups
link to original recipe
Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 25 min
Serves 5

1/2 lb bacon
1 (11-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crusty French Loaf
4 oz shredded sharp Cheddar or Swiss
2 oz thinly sliced cooked deli turkey 
2 oz thinly sliced cooked deli ham

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel; crumble.

Meanwhile, unroll dough and sprinkle with cheese. Top with turkey, ham and bacon. Starting with long side, roll up dough; press edges to seal. Make 3 to 4 slits in top of loaf. Place on sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake at 350°F. for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

509 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

More Peas, Please!

It's 9pm and I've got the munchies.  Am I craving, like usual, the chips I buy "for Allen,"  the cookies I made "for Rachel," or the 100 calorie popcorn packs I get for myself?  Nope, I'm craving peas.  Yup - raw, cold, peas.  Now, before you think I'm a total weirdo and quit reading altogether, notice I didn't say plain peas.  No, I'm craving the creamy, crunchy, bacon-y pea salad I made a few days ago and have been eating nonstop ever since.  I think any dish that makes me crave vegetables has got to be a good thing, so this salad has become one of my favorite summer side dishes.  Plus, it comes together in practically no time at all and makes a ton so it would be great for a potluck or BBQ, or for your 9pm snack -5 days in a row. = )

Crunchy Pea Salad
link to original recipe
prep time: 15 min
serves 12

1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sugar
1 (10 oz) bag frozen peas, thawed
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped red onion
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled 

Mix together Italian dressing, mayonnaise and sugar in a medium size bowl. Fold in peas, celery, peanuts, onion, and bacon until well mixed. Refrigerate until serving.

I haven't tried this with lite dressing or mayo, but I think it would probably taste almost as good.  I probably wouldn't sub them both out for lite versions, but maybe one or the other.  I'll update this post to let you know how that turns out if I ever try it!

243 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Benn-agains Baked Potato Soup

I remember the first time I tried baked potato soup.  It was probably 15 years ago and they had just opened up a Bennigan's in my town.  Their soup was so delicious it instantly became my favorite dish at my new favorite restaurant.  Sadly, no one else in my family developed such an intense appreciation for Bennigan's cuisine, so I figured if I wanted to have baked potato soup more than once a year or so, I better figure out how to make it myself.

I don't remember where I found this recipe, it was so long ago, but it tasted so much like the Bennigan's version I knew it was a keeper, and I've been making it ever since. With this recipe, I can have Bennigan's again whenever I want it.  In fact, I don't think I've even been back there since then, which is sad because they have some great southwestern egg rolls, too, but that's another blog post!  I've made this for friends, family, even important company, and everybody loves it, but the best part is, I don't think any of them would ever guess just how easy it is!

It does require a tiny bit of pre-planning since it's made with baked potatoes, but I've even microwaved the potatoes in a pinch and they tasted fine.  For best results though, lube up your taters with some olive oil, prick them all over with a fork, season with salt and pepper and bake them for about an hour at 350. Don't wrap them in foil - that just traps in the steam and makes them mushy.  You can bake them ahead of time if you need.  When you add them to the soup they'll warm right up.

I always serve this with a nice salad, but I never eat the salad, opting instead for a second bowl of soup.  Actually, I usually make a double batch because I know I'm gonna want some more for lunch the next day.  This makes 5 servings, but that's never quite as much as I want to eat!

Baked Potato Soup

Prep time: 1 hr (to bake potatoes)
Cook time: 15 min
Serves 5

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
3 baked potatoes
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes, till tender.  Whisk in flour.  Gradually whisk in broth and evaporated milk till smooth.  Scoop pulp from one baked potato and mash.  Add to pan.  Cook over medium heat till boiling.  Dice remaining potato skin and potatoes and add to soup.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions.

476 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

A Better Bagel Bite

Have you ever bought those frozen bagel bites before?  Every time I see them in the store, the picture on the front of the box looks so yummy I can't resist them.  Unfortunately, they don't taste nearly as scrumptious as they look.  Plus, they want like $4 for only a dozen or so bites!  Outrageous.  Especially when I can make them myself in practically no time at all and they taste awesome!

You can make this with mini bagels if you want them as a snack or appetizer, but I like to make them with regular size bagels and serve them for dinner.  Add a veggie or salad and you've got a super quick meal that everybody likes.  Cheesy, chewy, bacony - perfection!  You can also make a pizza version of this by subbing pizza sauce for the mayo and using your favorite pizza toppings.  Yumm-o!

Ham & Cheese Bagel Bites
Prep time: 10 min  Cook time:5 min
Serves 4

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 bacon strips, cooked and diced
3 bagels, halved (or 8 minis)

Combine cheese, ham, mayo, and bacon.  Spread evenly over cut side of bagels.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and broil till lightly browned and bubbly.

604 calories per serving.  Click here for nutritional info and shopping list!

Feelin' the Love of a Bacon Hug

I like cooking for company.  Good food is like a gift I can give to show my friends how much I care about them.  Of course, I also enjoy the accolades I receive from a well-made meal, and why shouldn't I?  It's a lot of work to make a delicious dinner and still have the energy left to socialize!  What I really like is finding a recipe that looks elegant and delectable, but doesn't take all day to prepare.  This recipe is great because the ingredients are simple and universal enjoyed, I can prep it ahead of time, and it tastes like a million bucks.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 40 min.
Serves 8

2 lbs chicken tenders
1 lb bacon
8 oz chive and onion cream cheese
Seasoned salt, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar


Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil. Season chicken to taste with seasoned salt.  Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on top of each piece then sprinkle with cheddar.  Wrap each tender with a slice of bacon and place on prepared pan.  You can now refrigerate until ready to bake.

Bake at 450F for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes.

Set broiler to high and broil chicken until bacon is desired crispness, approximately 5 minutes.  Flip over and broil other side. Serve and rake in the love!

783 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken...good. Pasta...good. Ranch flavoring...good. Chicken Ranch Pasta with BACON? Dinner perfection. My stomach still hurts a little from eating so much of this stuff. Try it. Tonight. 'Nuff said.
 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Prep time: 15min  Cook time: 25 min
Serves 4  

1/3 cup bacon, diced (about 8 slices)

2 chicken breasts, diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 oz penne pasta

1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs Ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Pour off some of the bacon grease, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Return pan to burner and heat to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.

In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking until sauce thickens. Add in ranch dressing mix and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, bacon and pasta. Stir to coat.