BBQ Ranch Skillet Chicken

This recipe is an amazing & flavorful meal consisting of Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes & Barbecue Ranch Chicken cooked in Bacon grease for a fuller flavor.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 strips Fresh Bacon
• 2 to 3 whole Fresh boneless, Skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups Your favorite Barbecue Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Ranch Dressing
• 1 tbsp McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1 tbsp Granulated garlic (or equivalent freshly minced)
• Dash Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Parsley
• 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• 1 cup Water
• 3 to 4 servings Mashed Potatoes (instant or regular cooked)

Preparation:

1. Rinse & trim fat from chicken breasts. Lay smoothe side-down & tenderize by piercing with a fork thoroughly. Repeat for reverse side (optional).
2. Sprinkle & massage McCormick Rotisserie Chicken seasoning, garlic, seasoned salt & black pepper into chicken breast pieces evenly on both sides.
3. Pour Ranch dressing into a dish large enough to marinade all chicken breast pieces with no overlap. Place chicken meaty side down into Ranch dressing.
4. Spoon Barbecue sauce over top of chicken as it rests on the bed of Ranch dressing. Cover & allow to marinade for 30 minutes.
5. While I prefer the convenience of instant mashed potatoes, you may choose to prepare regular mashed potatoes by skinning them & cooking as normal.
6. If you choose to work with Instant mashed potatoes, follow the directions for three to four servings, but switch the water & milk measurements to make your mashed even creamier. Add a dash of Seasoned Salt, a dash of McCormick Rotisserie Chicken seasoning, parsley, & black pepper to the milk & water before boiling.

7. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon strips until crisp & well-done, but not burnt. Place fully-cooked strips of bacon on a paper towel to degrease. Drain off most of the bacon grease, but leave enough to cook the chicken in.
8. After stirring the Instant potatoes or mashing the regular potatoes, break apart the (now cooled) bacon into pieces & add them to the potatoes. Throw in the cheddar cheese & cover, allowing the heat & steam to melt the cheese & soften the bacon pieces.
9. Heat the skillet until the bacon grease begins to sizzle & add the chicken, allowing the ranch & barbecue sauce to blend around the edges. It does not matter which side is down, as the flavors will blend well together as the chicken cooks.
10. Cook the chicken on high heat for 5 minutes on each side. If the sauce begins to reduce, add a portion of the water & cover, allowing the steam of the water to cook the chicken to the center. Measure the temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer, making sure it is at least 150 degrees.
11. Stir the mashed potatoes, folding in the bacon pieces & cheese. Add salt or pepper to taste.
12. Plate the chicken & mashed potatoes & enjoy!

Tips:

The key ingredient to this recipe, of course, is the McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, which is a truly amazing & versatile blend of herbs & spices. Listed on the label as ingredients are: "Salt, Onion, Spices, Paprika, Garlic, & Citric Acid." While it is labeled Chicken seasoning, I have used it on burgers, steaks, chops, & in soups, stuffing, & on salads for an instant kick of flavor.

Another option to add more flavor to the Mashed Potatoes is to pour in a half-cup of ranch dressing before boiling.