There’s something about using the word smothered in the same sentence as bacon and cheese that just really gets me going….I mean, look at that melty delish.  It’s Level 10, Y’all.  And it’s totally low carb perfection.  The mayo layer in this recipe isn’t totally necessary, but it just makes it even creamier and gooey-er.  Do it.

There are a few easy steps to make this melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. First, saute red onion (cut into rings) in butter until it starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes.  Then add a couple fresh jalapenos and 5 slices of bacon cut up.  Saute until bacon is done, another 10-15 minutes.  There’s nothing in the world like the smell of bacon and onion sauteing in a pan together.  A girlfriend of mine once said that when she invited a date over for dinner, no matter what she was cooking, she would fry up onions and bacon– and the dude was instantly hooked.  (On her and whatever she was serving up that night!)

I like to take my time with the onions and really get them soft and caramelized. They’re so good, I had to stop myself from eating them straight out of the pan!

While the onion mixture is cooking, start grilling your chicken.  I use a grill pan with a combo of butter and oil and cook about 2/3 of the way through.  These were super thick breasts, so I did about 10 minutes on each side and then they’ll cook the rest of the way when you pop them in the oven.  Key to perfect chicken is to dry the meat off with paper towels so the pieces cook evenly.  I always use a 2/1 ration of butter to oil (2 Tb butter to 1 Tb of olive/coconut/canola oil– whatever oil you want to use.  I season both sides of the chicken with a combo of paprika and steak seasoning.

Mix a cup of mayo with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, a 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and onion powder with a pinch of kosher salt.  Slather that on the chicken breasts and put in a casserole dish.

Then, spoon the yummy jalapeño, bacon, caramelized onion goodness on top of the chicken.

Put some smoked gouda slices on top of that. (I used 5).

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes (or a few minutes more if the chicken is super thick) and broil for one minute to brown the cheese.

Dive into delish!  ERMAHGAWD.  So. Damn. Good.

Need a Dessert? Try My No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Note: There will be some greasy puddles at the bottom of the casserole because of the fat from the mayo and cheese, but just use a slotted spoon to scoop out the bacon and onion that slips into the bottom of the casserole dish.  When I was cleaning up my kitchen later, I found myself using my, uh, fingers, to grab those buttery, yummy stray pieces of bacon.  Oh yeah, baby!

Smoked Gouda Smothered Chicken with Bacon, Jalapeño, & Caramelized Onion

---

Ingredients

For the chicken

• • 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Paprika
  • Steak seasoning
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil or your favorite cooking oil
  • 1 cup full-fat mayo
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar
  • pinch of kosher salt

For the Bacon/Jalapeño/Caramelized Onion Layer

• • 2 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1 red onion sliced into thin rings
  • 5 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
  • 2 fresh jalapeños chopped

For the cheese topping

• 5 slices of smoked Gouda

Instructions

For the chicken

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400.
   2. Dry off the chicken with a paper towel so it browns evenly. Sprinkle both sides with paprika and steak seasoning.
   3. Heat up 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb oil in a grill pan over medium/high heat. When butter gets bubbly, add the chicken to the grill pan.
   4. Cook for 10 minutes on one side. Flip. (I usually add another Tb of butter when I flip the chicken.)
   5. Cook for 10 minutes on the other side.
   6. In a bowl, mix the mayo with the garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of kosher salt and 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar, set aside.

For the Bacon/Jalapeño/Caramelized Onion Layer

1. 1. Saute the onion in 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb olive oil for 20 minutes on medium heat, until onion gets soft and starts to caramelize.
   2. Add jalapeño and bacon pieces.
   3. Saute until bacon is cooked through, another 10-15 minutes.

To Assemble:

1. Take chicken out of grill pan (it will not be totally cooked through) and coat in mayo mixture. Put in the bottom of a casserole dish.
2. Spoon bacon/jalapeño/onion mixture on top of chicken.
3. Put 5 slices of smoked gouda on top of the bacon/jalapeño/onion mixture.
4. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (Thicker breasts may take a bit longer).
5. Broil for 1 minute to brown the cheese.
6. Serve immediately.