Stuffed Chicken Bacon Ranch

75 minutes || My rating: 9/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 block of room temperature cream cheese, 1/2 pack of dried ranch seasoning, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until all combined and set aside.
3. Take 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and butterfly them (cut the chicken breast sideways through the breast but not all the way, so you can open the chicken breast up). If the chicken is not the same thickness throughout, use a meat hammer to get the same thickness for the entire piece of chicken. Repeat for the other 3 chicken breasts.
4. Take one of the butterflied chicken breasts and lay it flat and open. Take about 3 tablespoons of the filling in your small bowl and dollop it on the first 3rd of the chicken breast. Roll the chicken breast firmly to keep the filling all in the chicken,
5. Take 2 pieces of raw bacon and wrap them on the outside of the stuffed chicken breast. I’d recommend trying to get the ends of the bacon on the bottom of the chicken to help hold them in place. Depending on the size of the chicken breast, you may want to use a tooth pick to hold the bacon in place.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for the other 3 chicken breasts.
7. Take a sheet pan with a rack and place the wrapped stuffed chicken breasts on the rack. Put them in the oven and cook until the chicken breasts are fully cooked to 165 degrees, this should take 40-50 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if some of the filling comes out of the chicken! You can still eat it! Pro-tip: Make sure you are temping your chicken, not the filling.
8. After the chicken is fully cooked, if the bacon is not fully cooked or crispy, place under the broiler for a few minutes turning until the bacon gets crispy on both sides.
9. Enjoy!