Bacon "IT" better!

*** January Guest Chef - Kathryn Gale (Mom) ***

Kathryn's Version

(Roswell, GA)

I am thrilled to be a guest cook for my daughters' blog. Cooking for those we love and sitting at the family dinner table is as important to me as any event in our lives. I am so glad they chose to carry on this tradition in their families.

I enjoy taking a traditional recipe and converting it with new ingredients. The following recipe was a standard Chicken Marsala recipe that I changed to accommodate the flavors I preferred. Once you start cooking on a regular basis, don't be afraid to change things up to fit your families tastes!

There is nothing like the smell of bacon frying and my addiction to it has been a lifelong affair. Bacon can be used for entrees, side dishes and even desserts. I prefer the traditional pork bacon, but have found enjoyment with the turkey version as well. This recipe calls for pork bacon, but substituting turkey bacon will still give it a great flavor.

Chicken Pinot Noir and Rice with Bacon
Prep Time: 3-5 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 13-15 minutes
Servings: 2-3

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
3 oz. Pinot Noir
1 T butter
1 T parsley, chopped
1 c. cooked rice (white or brown)
3 pieces of bacon, fried and crumbled
Flour
Olive oil
Heavy cream, optional

Salt chicken, dredge in flour, sauté in hot skillets with EVOO. 

Add shallot and mushrooms to skillet. 

Turn chicken after 3 minutes. Add wine into skillet. After 3 minutes, add butter to skillet, then cook 2 more minutes. More salt and pepper to taste. Final step - top with chopped parsley and bacon (add cream if desired; 2-3 T, then stir).

Serve chicken and sauce over rice!

Val's Version

(Denver, CO)

Mom made me step up my game this week! Growing up, that's one thing I always knew I'd have to work hard at … learning how to cook like her. She is a phenomenal chef and is not afraid to try new things. In the past, I always stuck to what I knew how to cook. Didn't change recipes much and basically had the same weekly menu. Being that I was a full-time working mom, I didn't really have the time to challenge myself. I will admit to making a ton of casseroles and pasta dishes. I know, right? Now all I do is attempt to make our chow a little more unique. I am forever finding new recipes and indulging in new ingredients and cooking techniques. That being said … this one was tricky. I don't like onions OR mushrooms and am terrified of cooking chicken, stovetop ;)

Wednesday nights are tough in our house. My oldest either has Youth Group or Girl Scouts and my husband is typically never home before 7pm. The baby isn't really on a predictable schedule quite yet and I like to have my son in bed between 7:30-8pm (including bath and story time). Soooooo, waiting to cook till I have help with the kids just isn't an option. I now know not to dive into the food blog recipe in the middle of the week … unless it's a crock pot entree!

Outside of my everyday household distractions, this dish is quite simple to make. After you've pulled all the ingredients together, it only takes about 10 minutes. Although, if you're boiling rice, that can add 40 minutes or so to cook time. But, did you know they have these great side dishes (we used quinoa and brown rice mix) that steam in the microwave for just 90 seconds??? And honestly, it's time saving and tastes just as good :) I, of course, wanted to exceed my own expectations and make a name for myself when it comes to cooking with my mom. So, I took it up a notch and being that "bacon is better" was her chosen theme this week, I also did Bacon Wrapped Asparagus as our side dish … YUUMMMMO!

Ok - first thing's first … pound your chicken! I have 3-4 mouths to feed, so thinning out 2 chicken breasts actually made 3 decent sized pieces and since Calu wasn't eating with us tonight, that worked perfectly. 

Season and dredge the chicken in flour prior to dropping it into your preheated oil. 

I then followed moms recipe (even had to call her halfway through to make sure I was doing it right) to try and mimic her awesomeness. I did, however, use a sweeter red wine blend instead of the pinot noir and added half and half to the broth to make it less red and more creamy … mine decided to come out with a purple tint, lol. 

Have you ever heard of the Makin' Bacon???? It's the coolest "As Seen On TV" product I have ever used. And yes - I've purchased a few. It doesn't matter which type of bacon you use (I prefer turkey - pictured below), it comes out fully cooked and crisp, ever time!!!

Once everything was sautéed and cooked thoroughly, I was finally able to take a breath. And take more sips of wine. Again - big shoes to fill ;)

In between crying, begging and leg hitting, my feast was ready and I was able to set the table, get Lucas situated and the baby fed before Dad even made it home. We enjoyed a very quick dinner together and I tidied up the kitchen before I had to pick up the Bug. I saved her some chicken and asparagus wraps for her to enjoy before she was tucked in for the evening. Everyone was very please with my version of mommas rock-star meal!!!

See, bacon really is better!

Here's a quick rundown of the Bacon Wrapped Asparagus …

While the oven is preheating to 400*F, heat up the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt and pepper (I used red pepper flakes for a little kick) until boiling. 

Create bundles of 3-4 asparagus stems and wrap in bacon of choice (uncooked, of course). Lay on a foil lined baking sheet. I even sprayed the foil with a little bit of canola oil.

The top the bundles with the sauce and bake until crispy (25-30 minutes). If you have the time, toss them onto the grill to add that smoked flavor. Ta - da!