Creamy Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Bacon ~ Gluten Free
Creamy Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Bacon ~ Gluten Free
Oh my! This dish is delish 😉 The tangy sun-dried tomatoes are a perfect accent for the savory chicken and bacon in this recipe! And, the creamy sauce has a tiny bit of a punch with the addition of red pepper flakes. This dish received a “Double Yum” in our house 🙂
A BIG “Thank You” to “juliasalbum.com” for sharing the original version of this recipe ~ I have tweaked the ingredients a tiny bit to make it Gluten-Free and Allergy-friendly for our family
The Chicken:
- 3-4 large Chicken Breasts (quartered)
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 2-3 Pinches Salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (you can use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, if desired)
- 2 tsp Garlic, minced (I use the already-minced Garlic in a jar)
- 3/4 – 1 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (packed in oil, drained (reserve the oil if using in place of the Olive Oil))
The Cream Sauce:
- 1 Cup Half & Half (or Heavy Cream for a thicker sauce)
- 1 Cup Whole Milk (you can also use 2%, 1% or Skim for a lighter version)
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1 heaping tsp Dried Basil (or 1 Tbsp Fresh, chopped)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt (to taste)
- Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
- 8-10 Strips bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- Cook Bacon until crisp, drain and set aside.
- Cut each Chicken Breast into quarters, sprinkle with the Salt and Paprika; set aside.
- In a large non-stick sauce pan, heat the 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil (or the oil reserved from the Sun-Dried Tomatoes) over Medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot (the surface should be shimmering), add the Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until you start to smell the Garlic; using a slotted spoon, remove the Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil behind, and set aside.
- Add the Chicken to the pan with the leftover oil, adding more oil if needed; cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side (until the chicken is a light golden brown).
- Remove the pan from the heat & cover; the chicken will continue to cook (about 5 minutes).
- Once the Chicken is no longer pink inside, remove it from the skillet and set aside; drain any juices leftover in the pan.
- Return the pan to the cooktop, add the Half & Half (or Heavy Cream, if using) and cook over Medium heat until it comes to a boil;
- Add the 1 cup of Shredded Mozzarella cheese, reduce temperature to Low, and stir until cheese has completely melted.
- Slowly add the 1 Cup of Whole Milk and whisk continually until mixture is smooth.
- Add the sauteed Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic to the cream sauce, mixing well;
- Next, add the Basil, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt; mix thoroughly.
- Lastly, add the cooked Chicken breasts and 1/2 of the crumbled cooked Bacon (reserving the other 1/2 for serving); heat until chicken is warm.
- Top with the remaining 1/2 of the Bacon and serve over rice, pasta or plain with your favorite veggies 🙂