Did all of you have a wonderful long weekend? We went up to my parent’s house to celebrate my third son’s 8th birthday, and so my mom could help me make some curtains for our basement window. We had a great time except for the agonizing, torturous, horrific trip to the fabric store. We didn’t realize they were having a huge sale and it was packed. The fabric cutting lines were loooong! We were there for 3 1/2 hours. I am not kidding! We were so wiped out when we left there that we couldn’t even start sewing the curtains. Note to self: Don’t go to Joann’s on President’s day. Even if everything in the entire store is 50% off. Even if everything is 70% off. You might loose your sanity altogether and have to be committed. No amount of money is worth that!
Now that I have gotten that off my chest, it is time for a recipe. A really great one. This chicken recipe made me famous. OK, not really famous, but it was published. Twice. In Taste of Home magazine and in a local newspaper. And it is pretty cool to see your name in a magazine or newspaper, even if it is just for a little ole’ recipe.
I originally saw the idea for this recipe on a cooking segment on our local news channel. I have tweaked it a bit, but it is pretty much the same. It tastes similar to the chicken they serve at Outback Steakhouse and Ruby River. I used to order it every time we went there, but I don’t anymore because now I just make it at home. Much cheaper! It is one of my very favorite ways to eat chicken. The sweetness of the honey mustard with the salty bacon is the perfect combination. So stinkin’ good!!!
Outback Chicken (Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon)
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2-1 tsp seasoning salt
6 slices of bacon, halved
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp dried onion flakes
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
Pound chicken breasts to 1/2″ thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and chill for 30 minutes. Cook bacon till crisp; set aside. For sauce: mix mustard, honey, onion flakes, and mayo till smooth. Brown chicken in a little bacon grease for 3-5 minutes per side. Place in a 9×13″ pan. Top with bacon and mushrooms. Pour sauce over the top and cover with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or till chicken juice runs clear.
Notes:
-I cook my bacon in the oven because it is much easier and cleaner. I line a large jelly roll pan with foil and place a cooling rack in it. I place the bacon on the cooling rack and bake in a 400 oven till the bacon is crisp. The fat drips down through the grids on the cooling rack and lands on the foil. The bacon comes out crispier, and not as shriveled up. So much better than cooking over the stove!!
-If you don’t have dijon mustard, you can substitute regular if you have to. It won’t taste exactly the same, but it will still be good.
-While the chicken is cooking, I like to baste it with the sauce. (But you don’t have to.)
-I like this with mushrooms, but the rest of my family doesn’t, so I usually leave them out.
This is the best! I’ve made it twice and my family LOVES it! This last time I just had pre-cooked crumbled bacon and it still tasted great.
I stumbled across this recipe the other night… how did you know that Alice Springs Chicken is my favorite dish at Outback?? 🙂 I featured your recipe here. YUM!
It has always been my favorite too. If you make this, let me know how you like it!