Baked Cracker Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the diced bacon; cook until crispy.
4. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Don’t discard bacon fat.
5. Return skillet to heat and add vegetable oil to the remaining bacon fat.
6. Pound chicken breasts to a ¼-inch to ½-inch thickness and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
7. Add chicken breasts to the hot oil – you may have to do this in batches if the skillet isn’t big enough – and cook chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
8. Flip over the chicken breasts, add butter, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes or until browned.
9. Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and arrange them in the previously prepared baking dish. Set aside.
10. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, and chives; mix until thoroughly combined. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
11. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Spread to coat the surface of each chicken breast.
12. Take half of the diced bacon and add on top of the cream cheese over each chicken breast.
13. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the chicken breasts.
14. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted and lightly browned.
15. Remove from oven.
16. Garnish with remaining bacon, fresh parsley, and scallions.

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
**CHICKEN**
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 T butter
• 4 (1lb total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t paprika
**RANCH CREAM CHEESE**
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t dried dill weed
• 1/2 t dried chives
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese, white and/or yellow
**GARNISH**
• choppend fresh parsley
• sliced green scallions

Notes: