Monterrey Chicken - You Can Make 1 or 100 Using This Recipe

Does it frazzle your brain to come up with ideas for dinner day after day after day?  Sometimes I think it would be interesting to know how many dinners I have made through the 43 years we have been married plus all the years I cooked at home growing up.  I was 12 when I started cooking the family dinner.  That's a lot of years and a lot of dinners.

Needless to say, the worst part is variety - not fixing the same meals over and over again.  I love cookbooks and magazines with recipes in them.  I have spent hours studying recipes, reading them, making them.  Now, there is the addition of the internet which has taken cooking to a whole new level. There are a bazillion recipes at your fingertips at any given moment!  I mean seriously, how fabulous is that?

We have four children and I cooked in large quantities for many years.  It is difficult to make things in smaller batches, but I do  - OR I invite people to join us for a meal.  That takes care of the over cooking part.  It is really difficult to cook for two people don't you think?  Sometimes you think it's just not worth the effort or it's easier to eat out.  But, it's so much healthier to prepare food at home where you know what has gone into the recipe and it is less expensive  - unless you are eating really cheap fast food which is not healthy.

This monterrey chicken recipe can be prepared for 1 or 100 just by dressing each chicken breast in the same way and it's easy and delicious.  If you get tired of bland chicken, try this recipe.  It will take care of that issue for you in one easy meal.

Here is what you need:

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (however many you want to prepare)
your favorite barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's original)
real bacon bits - I used real bacon (yum)
colby jack cheese (I used pepper jack)
1 can RoTel tomatoes with chiles, drained

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or something heavy to flatten them out a bit.  It really does help keep all the toppings on if you are wondering why it is necessary.

Grill the chicken breasts just until done.  That means juices will run clear and there will be no pink in the middle.  Dan cooked ours on the grill, but you could use a George Forman grill if you have it or a stove top grill.  That is up to you.

When the chicken is done, place the breasts on a baking sheet and top each one with the following.

2 Tbsps. barbecue sauce
1 Tbsps. bacon bits or regular bacon
1/4 cup grated cheese (colby jack, monterrey jack, or pepper jack)
1/4 cup Rotel

Place the baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.  It doesn't take very long, so keep an eye on them.

Remove the baking pan from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

This is one of the easiest, tastiest ways to fix chicken breasts.  It's also very colorful and looks so appealing on a plate.  You can make it as spicy as you like or as mild as you like by changing the ingredients just a bit.  If you don't like spicy, don't use pepper jack cheese.

Warm weather is on the way and this is a wonderful way to enjoy chicken without too much effort.  Your kitchen doesn't heat up from using the stove for a long period of time and it goes beautifully with so many side dishes.  We all love this.  I think you will too!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember

Chicken Facts

•  Americans consume an average of 8 billion chickens each year.
• That's a lot of chicken, so you need some new recipes.  Try this one.  : )