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)
  1. Cook Bacon until crisp, drain and set aside.
  2. Cut each Chicken Breast into quarters, sprinkle with the Salt and Paprika; set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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).
  6. Remove the pan from the heat & cover; the chicken will continue to cook (about 5 minutes).
  7. Once the Chicken is no longer pink inside, remove it from the skillet and set aside; drain any juices leftover in the pan.
  8. 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;
  9. Add the 1 cup of Shredded Mozzarella cheese, reduce temperature to Low, and stir until cheese has completely melted.
  10. Slowly add the 1 Cup of Whole Milk and whisk continually until mixture is smooth.
  11. Add the sauteed Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic to the cream sauce, mixing well;
  12. Next, add the Basil, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt; mix thoroughly.
  13. 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.
  14. Top with the remaining 1/2 of the Bacon and serve over rice, pasta or plain with your favorite veggies 🙂
Dinner, Main Dish



Chopped Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

Chopped Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

Oh my gosh! I could eat this salad every day! The combination of the fresh, crunchy lettuce, the salty bacon pieces and the slightly sweet BBQ Ranch Dressing is something that words just cannot accurately describe!! I am forever indebted to Ree Drummond (aka: “The Pioneer Woman”) for sharing the original recipe of this awesome salad (“Cowboy Chopped Salad”), which I have made a few minor adjustments to to make it allergy-friendly and GF for my family 🙂 Enjoy!!!

The Bacon:

  • 12-15 Slices Thick or Regular Bacon (Cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces)

The Barbecue Ranch Dressing:

  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s)
  • 1/2 Cup Lite or Regular Sour Cream (I use Daisy Lite Sour Cream)
  • 1/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s )
  • 3 Tbsp Dried Parsley
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic, chopped
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt (to taste)
  • 1 pinch Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 – 3/4 Cup Buttermilk (I make my own by pouring 1 Tbsp White Vinegar into a 1 Cup measuring cup and adding enough Whole Milk to fill the rest; gently stir and let rest for 5 minutes.)

The Salad:

  • 1 Large Head of Lettuce (I use Romaine Lettuce, but Iceburg, Green or Red Leaf Lettuce, etc. is great, too)
  • 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes (halved)
  • 1-2 Chopped Green Onions/Scallions (I use both the green and white parts)
  • 3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Pico de Gallo (Topping; I use store-bought once my garden has gone dormant)
  1. While the bacon is cooking, begin making the BBQ Ranch Dressing.

The BBQ Ranch Dressing:

  1. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, except for the Buttermilk.
  2. Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined, add the Buttermilk 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Reserve any leftover Buttermilk in the refrigerator to add to the dressing later, as it will thicken over time.
  3. Cover and refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.

The Salad:

  1. In a very large bowl, place all of the salad ingredients, except for the Pico de Gallo, and gently toss to mix (reserve some of the Cheese and Onions for toppings).

Putting it All Together:

  1. To serve the salad, you can set up a station with the large salad bowl as center stage with the Bacon served in a side bowl (for non-bacon-eaters), as well as the Pico de Gallo and any other toppings that you want to serve separately. You can also serve the BBQ Ranch Dressing separately or sparingly toss on the salad, so individuals can add more if desired 😉
Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Salads, Side Dish, Snacks



Easy Cream Cheesey Chicken (4 Ingredients)

Easy Cream Cheesey Chicken (4 Ingredients)

A friend shared this Easy Cream Cheesey Chicken recipe with me years ago, but I tucked it away in my recipe box and forgot about it…until last week! My family RAVED when they tasted it and asked when I was going to make it again!!! With just 4 ingredients, easy to make AND delicious, this recipe goes straight to the top of my “Go To” recipes :). I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!

  • 3-4 Breasts Boneless, Skinless Chicken (Trimmed, rinsed and dried)
  • 4-6 Tablespoons Cream Cheese (I used about 2 Tablespoons per Chicken Breast, but you may increase or decrease as desired)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Green Onions (Chopped, as many or as few as you want)
  • 3-4 Slices bacon (I used Thick Sliced Bacon)
  1. Lower oven rack to about 6″-8″ from the bottom. Turn oven to Broil and let heat up while you prepare the chicken.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside. Gather the ingredients.
  3. Place a chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper and pound to desired thickness (I usually pound it to about 1/4-1/2 inch at the thickest part of chicken). Repeat with the other breasts. Set aside.
  4. Mix the cream cheese together with the chopped green onions, using a fork.
  5. Wrap each chicken breast around 1-2 tablespoons of the cream cheese and onion mix.
  6. Next, wrap one piece of bacon around each breast and secure with a toothpick.
  7. Place the rolled chicken in the foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 20-25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
  8. Serve with rice and your favorite veggie. Enjoy!
Main Dish