Monterey Chicken (Chili's Copycat recipe)

As per usual while the kiddos are napping or at school I am spending endless time looking for new food ideas on Pinterest and other various blogs.  A picture of chicken smothered in bacon and cheese catches my eye and I think "I have got to have that".  As I continue to read it says that this is an exact replica of the Monterey Chicken at Chilis.  Well, well, well, I have had that and it is delicious.  This is sure to fill the endless hole that is my husbands stomach.  This is not for the faint of heart, do not try to count the calories here.  I can only imagine the scary number.  So while this is so delicious, it will be an every now and then recipe.  To add it into the regular rotation would be to add about 20 pounds in a few months.  That being said, it is certainly worth the calories every now and then!

Recipe on Pinterest brought me to this website: http://www.food.com/recipe/monterey-chicken-308144

marinate the chicken

crisp up some bacon, you'll want to make a few extra pieces for nibbling along the way

After chicken is cooked through, top with BBQ sauce, cheese and bacon and broil

Yum. Cheesy, bacony deliciousness.

Ingredients:

3 T honey
3 T soy sauce
3 T worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves (recipe called for 5 dashes garlic)
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 C shredded monterey jack cheese
6-8 slices apple smoked bacon (2 pcs per pc of chicken)
6-8 T BBQ sauce (2 per chicken pc)


Directions:

• Prepare the marinade:  Mix the honey, soy, worcestershire, garlic and salt in a large ziploc bag.  Add chicken to bag and add enough water to cover chicken (I used about 3/4 C)
• Marinate for 8 hours if possible.  I left mine in the fridge overnight.
• Bake, broil or grill chicken until chicken is no longer pink.
• While chicken is cooking crisp up the bacon (be careful of passersby stealing slices of cooked bacon)
• When chicken is done remove from oven and set oven to broil.  While oven is getting hot, top each piece of chicken with 2 T BBQ sauce, cheese and 2 slices bacon.
• Pop under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  I guess you could microwave instead but I'm never a fan of microwaving meat.
• I served mine with corn and mashed potato but I think it would pair well with rice as well.