Cheese. Chicken. Bacon. Barbecue Sauce. You know it’s gonna be good. Unfortunately, I took the pics when I was in a huge rush to get the kids out the door to volleyball practice, and the lighting was terrible, soooo….don’t judge the recipe by the picture! This blob of cheesiness was pretty darn tasty (and see for a much better picture). Monterey Chicken used to be a popular sandwich at Chili’s Restaurant, (and may still be, haven’t been in a while!) and contains some of my favorite things. I served mine on a plate with sides, but plan on trying it on a nice toasty bun one day soon. Either way, it’s delish.
Monterey Chicken
source – my changes in italics
3 T. Honey
3 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. sea salt
Topping:
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
8 slices bacon (I used pre-cooked)
8 T. barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s)
* Marinate the chicken in a mixture of honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt for at least an hour (but can be marinated overnight.)
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large baking pan and place chicken on top. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 30 minutes or until the center is no longer pink and juices run clear. (Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).
* While chicken is cooking, fry up the bacon and set aside – or use pre-cooked bacon as I did.
* After chicken is cooked through, spread with barbecue sauce, top with bacon and cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.
Now, I have a little cheat for you – I had pre-cooked chicken breasts from the freezer (thawed), so I placed the cooked chicken in the marinade for a couple of hours (or could be done in the morning before work), then placed my chicken on a baking sheet, covered with barbecue sauce and baked until it was warmed throughout. Then I topped with my pre-cooked bacon and cheese stuck it under the broiler until the cheese was nice and melt-y. It took 15-20 mins at the most (start to finish). The pre-cooked chicken absorbed the marinade well, and it was a time saver since we had to be out the door pretty quickly for the kids’ practices. We had baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave in steamer bags) and a salad as quick and easy sides.
This recipe is a keeper!
I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , ,, (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , (Sunday)
"blob of cheesiness" – sounds good to me!
Whatever you say about the picture doesn't matter-because this still looks good to me!
looks great! Can't ever go wrong with cheese and bacon!
Jenna
This recipe sounds like something my husband would like….I'm loving your "little cheat" to make it a bit easier =)
I used to work at chilis!! I love this! Thanks so much for taking the time to link up to the Tasteful Tuesday party @Nap-TimeCreations.com. Make sure to follow my blog via bloglovin, GFC or facebook so you don't miss out on my features posts… it could be YOU :o)
Emily
Sounds great, can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Deanna @ gloriouslymade.blogspot.com
I love this dish from Chili's – I will definitely try this on my own!
Visiting from Lady Behind the Curtain
Karla
Looks so good!
It looks delicious! I will be pinning this!
Perfect for getting a hot real meal into the kids before soccer practice. Thanks for the post!
Visiting today from the Thinking About Thursday hop.
I LOVE Chili's and especially this chicken of theirs. I was thrilled to find this recipe at Whip It Up Wednesday! Thanks for sharing!
Danielle at
This looks awesome! I am totally trying it and pinning it so I don't ever lose the recipe. Thanks
Angela from
This seems really simple but the flavors are different. Pinning and making soon. Thanks for sharing this on foodie friday.
I love this chicken and can't wait to make this recipe. Your recipe is fabulous and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
This looks wonderful! THanks for linking up with this week's Whip it up Wednesday linky party!
OH lord my dear! VERY tasty looking!!!
Just wanted you to know that your recipe is being featured on foodie friday today. I'm a bit wiped out from my gum surgery ,but I want you to know that I will be tweeting and pinning your recipe this week. Thank you again for being part of foodie friday.
I'd like to invite you to my Friday Flash Blog, where you can share your best blog entry of the week! The party goes on ALL weekend at . And who knows, you may just get featured next week.
Jennifer