Lemon Pepper Bacon Chicken Sandwich Pioneer Woman Recipes

RANCH CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• With a very sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts in half down the middle. This will result in 8 chicken breast pieces that are thinner and uniform in size.
• Next, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together the honey, mustard, paprika, salt, pepper to taste, lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine.
• Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge, 2 to 4 hours.
• While the chicken marinates, fry up the bacon until chewy. When finished cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and pour off the rest of the grease (but do not clean the skillet).
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the marinade and cook it in the skillet over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Brush a little reserved bacon grease on the chicken as you cook it. (Or you can grill the chicken breasts on an indoor or outdoor grill.)
• When a couple of minutes grilling time are left, lay 2 pieces of bacon onto each chicken breast. Top with some Cheddar and allow it to melt on the grill (if you need to remove the chicken you can finish melting the cheese under the broiler).
• Halve the rolls and immediately load with the bacon-and-cheese covered chicken.

CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse chicken thoroughly and place in a large pot of water. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done (about 45 minutes to an hour). When you are ready, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate. With your fingers or a fork, pull all of the meat off the bones, chop into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
• Chop all of your fruits and veggies and place them in a bowl with the chicken.
• In another bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream), lemon juice, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the dill (or oregano or cilantro...whatever makes your skirt fly up) and if you're feeling a bit brazen throw in a dash of cayenne pepper!
• When the dressing tastes just right (you must taste test for appropriate saltiness especially), pour it over the chicken/veggie/fruit mixture and stir gently until everything is thoroughly mixed. Stir in the almonds. If you are feeling naughty, add a sprinkling of bacon bits.
• Allow the salad to chill for several hours (or even overnight). Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich or heck, eat it straight out of the bowl with a serving spoon. Try it soon-you'll love it!

PIONEER WOMAN RANCH-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together 1/2 cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with 1/2 cup honey, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Set aside.
• Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
• While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
• When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from over.
• Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, then add the oil. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, and place in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add the garlic to the pan, carefully add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release any flavor stuck to the bottom. Add the cream, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, stir and return the chicken to the pan. Cook for 1 minute more, until the spinach has wilted. Garnish with basil and lemon slices.

LEMON PEPPER BACON CHICKEN SANDWICH - PIONEER WOMAN

Steps:

• On a cutting board, pound the chicken breasts briefly with a mallet to flatten the thick parts so they'll cook more evenly.
• Cut each strip of bacon in half. Arrange strips in a large (12") skillet and cook over medium heat until it reaches your desired crispness. Remove cooked bacon from skillet and put on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
• Pour off all but approximately 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. (you can pour it all off and then add back 1 TB - you decide!).
• Heat skillet again, over medium-low to medium heat.
• Liberally sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with lemon pepper. When the skillet is hot, place all 4 chicken breasts in it. Cook approximately 4 minutes on one side.
• Flip the chicken breasts over. Arrange the bacon slices on top. Then place sliced cheese on top of the bacon.
• Cover the skillet and cook for about another 4 minutes. The cheese should be well-melted. To test doneness, poke the fattest part of a breast with a sharp knife - you shouldn't see any pink meat left in the middle.
• Dress your bun with mayonnaise, a dijon/mayonnaise combo, or ranch dressing.
• Put chicken on bun. It tastes great without veggies, but you can also add leafy lettuce, sliced tomato, and sliced onion.