Make My Day Camp: Baked Chicken with Bacon Bottom and Wild Rice

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Baked Chicken with Bacon Bottom and Wild Rice

This recipe is from The Magnolia Table cookbook, I pretty much followed it exactly other than I diced the onion and couldn't find thick-cut peppered bacon so substituted 12 ounces of regular bacon - don't know how much that changed the outcome but we all liked this dish. I had my doubts about how the raw bacon underneath rice and chicken was going to cook and not be soggy but it turned out crispy and added texture in addition to flavor, yum.

Since I followed the recipe and didn't realize it makes 10-12 servings, we ended up with a lot of leftovers; yes, I love leftovers but next time I will make this in a smaller quantity and a smaller baking dish - because it's a lot of leftovers (even for me!).

BAKED CHICKEN WITH BACON BOTTOM AND WILD RICE

12-oz package thick-cut peppered bacon
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
6 T. salted butter, divided
3 (6.2-oz.) boxes Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Fast Cook, cooked according to package directions.
1 (10.5-oz.) can condensed cream of onion or cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1/4 cup chopped chives or parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375'.

2. Lay the bacon slices side by side to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 (x 3-inch deep) baking pan or other wide, deep baking dish. Us any remaining slices along th sides of the pan. Place the onion slices on top of the bacon, overlapping them as necessary to cover the bottom. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into cubes and evenly sprinkle them on top of the onions.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice blend, soup, sour cream, broth, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined. Spoon the rice over the butter cubes and smooth the mixture out. Nestle the tenders into thee rice, pressing them down slightly. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on the chicken. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.

4. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the chives or parsley on top. Serve right out of the pan.

makes 10-12 servings