Don't be confused by the name of the recipe; there is no "ranch" in or on this chicken.
I think Pioneer Woman created the name of the recipe based on where she lives...
...and I slightly adapted her recipe. For the REAL recipe, visit her site. She uses bacon grease and the oven.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup honey
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- crushed red pepper (optional to taste)
- 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 slices thick cut bacon (optional)
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese (She used shredded [pictured].)
Directions:
To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with ½ cup honey, juice of lemon, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Pour marinade into a Ziploc bag and set aside.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bag of marinade, seal, and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon until crispy. (optional). Once cooled, cut each slice in half (8 pieces).
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees). Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Grill chicken for about 6 minutes on each side.
With about one minute remaining, lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. (Skip this step if you choose not to use bacon.) Top each piece of chicken with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Remove when cheese is melted and bacon (if it's there) is sizzling. Serve immediately.
*www.pioneerwomancooks.com