Baked Chicken with Bacon

Picture from thekitchn.
Image credit: Faith Durand

Baked Chicken with Bacon

“The chicken was tender and moist, cooked slowly in the simple creamy sauce of tomato, and each morsel of chicken was wrapped in its own slice of thick bacon. Bacon infused the whole dish, right down to the potatoes in the bottom of the casserole.”

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or a mix

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

3 to 4 medium tomatoes, about 1 pound

1 medium onion, about ¾ pound

4 large garlic cloves

1 pound bacon (20 strips)

2 pounds fingerling or small potatoes

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ cup sour cream

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Cut the chicken into pieces about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long.

Cut each breast into about 5 pieces, or chicken thighs into 2 to 3 pieces.

 You should end up with about 40 pieces of chicken.

Toss the chicken pieces with about 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Heat the oil in a wide, deep skillet over high heat.

Brown the chicken pieces for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, letting them develop a medium brown crust. Do this in several batches.

Remove the browned chicken pieces to a baking sheet and let cool slightly.

While the chicken is cooling, core the tomatoes and chop them roughly, and peel the onion and 

chop it roughly too.

Blend them in a blender or food processor with the garlic cloves until smooth.

Pour into the deep skillet you used to brown the chicken and bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes while wrapping the chicken.

Cut the bacon strips in half.

Wrap ½ piece bacon around each piece of chicken. If desired, secure with a toothpick.

Cut the fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise and spread in the bottom of a deep roasting dish 

or large Dutch oven.

Lay the bacon-wrapped chicken pieces on top of the potatoes.

Turn off the heat under the tomato sauce.

Whisk in ½ teaspoon salt, the smoked paprika, and the sour cream.

Pour over the chicken and potatoes and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

You can combine this amazing recipe with some others from our collection.

Serve 6.

Enjoy this recipe and many others at thekitchn.