by James Coulter
You know what dish I’m most famous for? My bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. Obviously, I didn’t create the recipe. But whenever I make them, everyone loves them. They’re a huge favorite at parties and gatherings. Especially the annual Super Bowl Party at Garden Grove Church.
I won’t be sharing my recipe for jalapeño poppers. But I will be sharing the next best thing: a recipe I recently tried for cream cheese and bacon stuffed Doritos© chicken.
I love cream cheese. I love bacon. I love chicken. And I certainly love Doritos©. So this recipe definitely sounded like something up my alley. And it was one of three different chicken recipes I tested (and tasted) last week. (Stay tuned for those!)
For this recipe, not only did I add a little extra kick with sliced jalapeños, but I also mixed some shredded cheese with the cream cheese. And not just any cheese! Kraft© Buffalo Ranch & Monterey Jack Cheese! Because what could be better than buffalo chicken with ranch that stuffing a chicken with buffalo and ranch flavor?
Going to be honest: the result was not exactly what I had expected. The Doritos© breading didn’t add much to the dish. Perhaps it was because I cooked the chicken a little too long to the point of nearly burning it. So maybe the cheesy Doritos© flavor was burnt away.
But that was the only downside. Everything else was on the up and up! The cheese and bacon (and jalapeño) stuffing was pure creamy delectable goodness. Almost tasted like someone took my famous bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers and stuffed them into a chicken. Seriously, if there’s a better way to improve chicken, I can’t think of it.
I even used some of the leftover cheese, bacon, and cream cheese filling and mixed it into that evening’s macaroni and cheese. Again, if there’s a better way to improve macaroni and cheese, I can’t think of it.
Overall, I most definitely will consider making this recipe again sans the Doritos©. No use wasting a good bag of Doritos© chips by crushing them and using them to bread chicken when you can’t even taste them once it’s all cooked.
The following recipe was taken from Recipes Cookery on Facebook:
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups nacho cheese-flavored Doritos, crushed into fine crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
2) In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3) Spoon the cream cheese mixture into each chicken breast pocket, stuffing it evenly. Use toothpicks to secure the edges of the chicken breasts if needed.
4) Place the crushed Doritos in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in another shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs and milk.
5) Roll each stuffed chicken breast in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip it into the egg mixture, then roll it in the crushed Doritos, pressing the crumbs onto the chicken to coat it well.
6) Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breaded chicken breasts and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
7) Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Enjoy!
