Monterey Chicken

Monterey Chicken used to be one of my favorite things to get at Chili's. Moist and juicy chicken covered in barbecue sauce, melted cheese and bacon. Needless to say, this is a pretty indulgent meal. But I have good news for you - there are things you can do to make this dish without having to feel super guilty for eating it!

First off, acquaint yourself with turkey bacon. Yes. Do it. Don't whine at me and tell me that it isn't the same. It has EXACTLY the same flavor! And if you cook it correctly, it has the same texture. And guess what? It only has a portion of the calories and fat of normal bacon. And no, it is not packed with tons of sodium to make up for the taste. AND it is only $10 for a box of 3 big packages at Sam's Club. Just do it!

Secondly, you do not need a ton of cheese to enjoy a meal. Let me repeat. You DO NOT need a ton of cheese to enjoy a meal. Cheese should be viewed as a condiment. It doesn't have much of its own flavor - it relies on other things. Just a little sprinkle of cheese and you will be set. Plus, I challenge you to cut back on the amount of cheese you use and be AMAZED at the flavor that your food has all by itself.

Thirdly, there are a lot of options for barbecue sauce. Read some nutritional labels. I have heard tell that Harmons has some amazing 0 calorie sauces. I haven't checked it out yet but I am definitely interested. However, if you follow the other suggestions I have made and just use your barbecue a bit sparingly you should be just fine. (I used Sweet Baby Ray's.)

Fair enough? Okay. If you want to use normal bacon, smother it in cheese and use a cup of barbecue sauce per chicken breast that is totally your call. But I promise you, this is a fantastic and flavorful recipe as is.

MONTEREY CHICKEN
From Shayla's Kitchen

Makes 6 Servings
Nutritional Information per serving (calculated on MyFitnessPal.com): Calories 196, Carbs 11, Fat grams 7, Protein 24 (Based on 1/4 cup each cheese and BBQ sauce)

6 large chicken breast halves (for easier cooking on the grill cut the fat half of the breast in half lengthwise again)
6 slices of cooked turkey bacon, cut into small slices
1/4 - 1/2 cup cheese of choice (I used mozzarella)
1/4 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce of choice (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
*2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles
*3 sliced green onions
*Juice of 1 large lime

*I had homemade pico de gallo that I used instead of the Rotel, onions and lime. If you don't have it, this will be a good substitute.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grill chicken for 5-7 minutes until chicken is just cooked through. You want it to be tender and juicy, not tough. Place chicken in a 9x13 dish and top with barbecue sauce. Spread the barbecue sauce around so that it covers the top of your chicken breasts. Sprinkle each breast with bacon slices and cheese. Pour both cans of Rotel on top of the chicken followed by the green onion slices and the juice of the lime. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

FANTASTIC AND EASY SIDE DISHES:

ROASTED BROCCOLI: Cut up a 1 lb head of broccoli into florets. Toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp EACH salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and roast in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

SAUTEED GREEN BEANS: Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and heat on medium high heat. Rinse 16 oz. frozen green beans so there is no visible ice. Place green beans in skillet and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. Sautee until beans are hot and start to brown and blacken (just a bit) on the outside.