Creamy Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Bacon ~ Gluten Free

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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
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Dish
Servings 6 Servings, depending on the amount desired

Ingredients
  

The Chicken:

  • 3-4 large Chicken Breasts quartered
  • ½ 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
  • ¾ - 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

Instructions
 

  • 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 🙂