Monterey Chicken Recipe

My husband loves to grill, and as much as I love to cook, I love him grilling in the summer. Less dishes...cooler kitchen...kids outside playing...seems like a win/win to me!  He has been grilling a lot this summer. (Someone got a new "toy" a couple of months ago. :)  Acouple of nights ago, after rummaging through the fridge, he decided that he would whip up one of my favorite things to order at Chili's. (We have a strick eat-at-home policy, so Chili's would be a treat!)  Monterey Chicken...grilled BBQ chicken breast, bacon, monterey jack cheese. YUM.  It was so quick and easy, and all I had to do was fry some bacon.

(I promise it tastes better than this picture looks! I'm not good at food styling, or food photography. When staring at a plate of food, my only concern is eating the food...)

Here's the recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt (to taste)

papper (to taste)

1 cup favorite BBQ sauce

8 slices thick cut bacon-cooked

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Diced tomato (optional)

Preheat grill.  Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Place on hot grill 4-5 minutes, flip, grill another 4-5 minutes. (Meat thermometers are great! You want your chicken to be cooked between 160-165 before you take it off of the grill.)  Brush each side of chicken liberally with BBQ sauce. Place 2 slices of bacon criss-cross on top of chicken, top with cheese. Allow the heat of the grill to melt the cheese.  (You want it just melted, but not bubbly and brown.)  Remove from grill and top with diced tomatoes just before serving. (My hubs won't eat the tomatoes, but I love them!)   Great served with creamy homemade mashed potatoes and corn on the cob! Or maybe even potato salad and cole slaw...I feel follow up recipes coming on!

*Change it up-instead of Monterey Jack, use Pepper Jack Cheese for those who like things spicy-top with pico de gallo

*Another yummy idea-Marinate the chicken for 2 to 4 hours in your favorite italian salad dressing. Grill, brushing with extra dressing.  Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the chicken and top with sliced avocado and swiss or monterey jack cheese.

Today I am grateful for always having plenty of food on the table, and never worrying about my children going hungry.