Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Holidays are coming! 

I love the holidays.  It means good food and things I don't normally make through the year.  I call these recipes my "special recipes". 

I've been making the lists for Thanksgiving Dinner.  I normally don't have the holiday meals at our house, but due to one of my daughters recovering from a serious surgery, I'm taking her turn.

I always try to make a couple of appetizers to have when people first get here.  Of course, everyone eats and eats and are they too full to eat the meal.....Not our family.  We have some big guys who are huge eaters.  So they eat the appetizers and then eat the meal too.  Lots of the meal!

This year one of the appetizers on my list consists of a modified version of one of Paula Deen's appetizer recipes.  Mine are called Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken.  I put these together the day before and then bake them that morning and put them in one of my several crock pots to keep hot.... I always keep several crock pots on hand.  Here's my recipe...you can cut it down too if you want fewer appetizer pieces.    If you like less spicy, I recommend that you not use the cayenne pepper as well as the cumin.   I also make one of my own dipping recipes which really go well with these.  I took this picture long ago so it's not really too good.

Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken

6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pounds bacon - cut into thirds- do not use thick cut
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt

Cut bacon strips in thirds (do the whole package at one time and then half of the other package if you buy pound packages) .  Cut the raw chickens in about 1 1/4 inch cubes. 
Mix the spices and the brown sugar.  Salt the chicken cubes fairly heavily. (Note if you don't salt at this time, taste them after cooked and salt then - I find they need salt unless the bacon is really salty).    Wrap the bacon around all of the chicken cubes and secure with a toothpick and roll in the remaining spice/sugar mixture.  Put these in a bowl with a cover or a freezer bag to let them marinade for at least 4 hours (overnight is really best).

When ready to cook, use a rack in the bottom of a pan with a lip to catch the bacon grease.  Lining your pan with foil helps clean-up.  Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.  Due to temperatures varying in different ovens, be sure to check these to prevent burning.  Most of the time I turn them half way through the cooking time and then at the end, I put them under the broiler to brown and crisp the bacon a bit more if needed.
Put these in the crock pot to keep warm.

My special remoulade dipping sauce recipe is:

1/2 cup mayo
1/8 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon horseradish mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
garlic powder to taste (I use about 3/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoons sirracha sauce
Mix ahead and let chill.  Sprinkle dried chives on top at serving time.
 

 

A few more special holiday appetizers will be coming soon on this blog.  Watch for them!  (Whiskey Meatballs, Jalapeno Roll Bites and Gulf Style Shrimp appetizers)

 

 

 

My Grammy would be proud.  She always had the holiday dinners and now her legend is carried on. 

 

 

 

Thanks for coming to my blog.

All rights reserved.

 

See y'all!