Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

I bet you can't guess where I found this recipe! :)

Made these for dinner tonight and my family thought I was absolutely amazing. I mean, I pretty much am, but chicken wrapped in bacon just pushed me right over the edge. HA! (Just in case you are reading this and don't actually know me - I'm TOTALLY Kidding!)

I didn't even get to snap a picture of the finished product, because they were gone so fast. These would be good as a meal (I served them with baked potatoes and corn), or as a Holiday appetizer or Superbowl App! They are a little sweet and a little spicy and so good. Plus, just 4 ingredients and you're done. EASY!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Bacon
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP. Chili Powder

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice chicken into 1" bite size pieces and set aside. Take strips of bacon and cut into thirds, wrap a piece of the bacon around each piece of chicken and secure with a toothpick. Mix the brown sugar and chili powder together in a shallow dish and dredge bacon wrapped chicken in that mixture. Set on a broiler pan with a rack that has been greased well with cooking spray - (this allows the bacon fat/chicken drippings to drip down into the pan below). Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. May need a few minutes under the broiler at the end of baking time to crisp it well! Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Here are 3 words that if they are used to describe any recipe, I'm pretty much willing to eat it: 1. Creamy 2. Pasta 3. Chicken

All three of those words describe this recipe that I made tonight and it was AWESOME! (Imagine me singing the word "awesome" in a semi-opera style voice cause that's what was going on in my head as I typed it.) :)

Here's the recipe and just a bit of info: It calls for grilling the chicken and since I didn't have the time (nor the desire) to grill outside, I used my Foreman Grill and it worked great.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Chicken Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb. box Penne Pasta (I used about 3/4ths of the box)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (optional-I left these out)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours minimum and up to 24 hours max in the refrigerator. When ready, grill until done. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

While chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-1 cup of pasta water and drain. In skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Toss in pasta. (Add more pasta water if noodles soak up too much of the sauce.)

Slice chicken and stir into sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.