When it comes to home cooking for the games, Minerva’s chefs rule the roost with their DIY chicken recipes.
If you will be watching the NCAA championships from home and are looking for a couple of inexpensive but delicious new recipes to incorporate into your game day traditions, look no further. Minerva’s chefs Aaron Baker and Jay Hill have opened their recipe books to us, and have revealed two of their personal favorite do-it-yourself chicken appetizers that people of all levels of cooking experience can prepare.
Up for the challenge of recreating these chef favorites, Troy McQuillen set about the task of preparing (and eating) each of them. We are pleased to tell you that he has officially labeled them Publisher Tested and Approved. And let’s face it – if our publisher can do it, anyone can!// by Angelia Schultz
SWEET AND SPICY BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN
By Executive Chef Aaron Baker
INGREDIENTS:
– 4 chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 12 equal pieces (the thicker the better; it helps to cut them so they’re sort of round)
– 12 partially cooked, but not crispy slices of very lean bacon
– Salt to taste
– Pepper to taste
– Garlic powder to taste
– Chili powder to taste
– Brown sugar (1/2 c or more, in a flat dish)
– Toothpicks or cooking twine
DIRECTIONS:
1. PREPARE chicken by cutting as above, and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and chili powder (season as little or as much as you’d like, to your personal preference).
2. WRAP each chicken piece with a slice of bacon, as you would beef tenderloin. Hold ends together with a toothpick, or tie it with cooking twine. They should be snug, as the chicken will shrink when cooking.
3. ROLL each wrapped piece through the brown sugar to coat. If the brown sugar doesn’t stick, try dampening the bacon with a bit of water.
4. COAT an oven safe baking dish with approx. 2 tbs olive oil, and transfer chicken into dish, evenly spreading out.
5. BAKE at 400° for 20-30 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked and bacon is crispy. You may flip chicken halfway through cooking time, or place them beneath the broiler for a VERY short time, to caramelize the sugar a bit. Warning: Do not over-cook the chicken!
6. DRIZZLE juices left in the pan over your chicken; serve and enjoy.
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