Chicken Bacon Bites
28 Dec
I confess, I’m not much of a TV watcher. It’s hard to get involved with a program when you are interrupted every 2.6 minutes from someone asking if they can change the channel because they don’t like what you are watching.
And no, Spongebob Squarepants doesn’t qualify as educational television.
My only real TV time is when I am on the treadmill or stationary bike. Oh, there are still interruptions, but they are less frequent because I have the channel set to the Food Network and the remote is hidden from sight.
If I time it right, I can catch Barefoot Contessa and 30 Minute Meals back to back during my workout – and then, if I like what they’ve made, I can go right to the computer to print out the recipes I want to try.
Last week, during my 12 mile ride, I watched Rachael Ray make these Chicken Bacon Bites for a fondue party – and while I skipped the fondue part, I modified the chicken just enough to make these a perfect part of my Christmas Day Buffet.
The only issue I had with them is the cooking process. Rachael instructs you to place spinach on top of raw chicken, then wrap bacon around the two and bake for 20 minutes.
Well……..that’s good in theory. But the reality is that the bacon doesn’t get crispy enough during that time. I ended up broiling them for a few minutes just to brown the bacon a bit more. Flavor wise, these were a hit – and I’ll definitely make them again, but I think I’ll precook the bacon to the point where it’s still flexible but way past the raw stage.
Chicken Bacon Bites - adapted from Rachael Ray
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach (I used fresh spinach that I sautéed first)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
6 slices good quality smoky bacon, halved
12 chicken tenders, cut in half (I used 2 whole breasts, cut into large chunks)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and set aside.
Defrost spinach in microwave. Halve the chicken tenders and set aside. Wring out the spinach in a clean dish towel and put the spinach in a small dish. Top each piece of chicken with a little spinach and wrap with bacon. Arrange, seem side down, on the baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with pepper and Mrs. Dash. Bake until golden and firm, 18 to 20 minutes.
This looks like a delicious appetizer! So many bacon appetizers include scallops or shrimp, I’m glad that this is one that I could easily do with things I already have on hand! Thanks for sharing:)
ooh, these look yummy. I think I would have skipped the fondue too!
I totally agree, I don’t like underdone bacon. Crisping it up first sounds like a great idea.
Hi
I was wondering how did you cook the spinanch. Also how do you suggest precooking the bacon.
Jackie – I sauteed the spinach in a frying pan with a touch of olive oil, and cooked it until it was wilted.
Also, I think I’ll pre-cook the bacon next time by putting it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes before wrapping it around the chicken.
How funny. I like your schedule. Unlike you, I’m an avid TV watcher, but don’t watch the cooking shows because I already have way tooooo many things I want to make and way toooo much TV watching to catch up on.
Yummy! Good idea about pre-cooking the bacon, because crispy bacon is the way to go.
I used to love catching up on tv shows while on the treadmill. Then I hurt my knee and now the treadmill is off limits. : (
Tragically, I dont’ have a tv. I have to content myself with watching shows on my computer. That means no food network, unfortunately, although that did used to be my favorite thing to watch while at the gym.
These chicken bacon bites sound delicious! I think they are something my family would actually eat. Thanks for the advice about the bacon!
Gee sounds like our households are the same again! I get lots of complaints like that. =)
Way to multi-task! Watching cooking shows while exercising sounds much nicer than running in the rain. Chicken, bacon, and spinach sounds like a winning combination to me.
Know what you mean about being interrupted during TV. The chicken bites look delicious all on their own and don’t really need the fondue, do they? This sounds really delicious!
You are so clever! What a great dish for a buffet!