David Theiss: Summer flavors to grill (recipe)

I’m always looking for a new way to prepare chicken. Today I will suggest a couple of my favorite ingredients and combine them for a tasty treat. Chicken, bacon and ranch dressing mix.

Ranch dressing is that all-American salad dressing dip. Probably in every house and restaurant in the union. Was invented by a man named Steve Henson in the late 1940s. In the ’50s ranch received national exposure when he teamed up with a large manufacturer and the rest is history. Usage of this very popular dressing mix has morphed into a seasoning that it was not originally designed for, like chip dips, meat seasoning, vegetable seasoning. My kids love to dip their pizza in it, chicken wings, etc. When my daughter lived in France every time, I went to see her she requested ranch dressing mix as they don’t have it there.

With this recipe I am going to suggest combining them all for a flavorful summer chicken dish. I’m also going to suggest trying a fellow Nevada Appeal recipe contributor Kate Johnson, with her pasta recipe. She wrote an article on March 6. “Fresh pasta made from scratch,” a great recipe and delicious addition to this recipe. I highly recommend you try it.

Ingredients

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing dry mix

4 pieces boneless chicken breasts

½ pound bacon

¼ cup of mayonnaise

Cook and chop the bacon finely, reserve one tablespoon of the bacon grease and add it to the ranch mix.

In a bowl big enough to dredge the chicken breasts prepare the ranch seasoning mix by combining one pack with the mayonnaise, bacon grease and chopped bacon pieces. Mix well.

Introduce the chicken one piece at a time. Coat with the seasoning mix, a brush will help.

On a hot grill preferable not over the flame, grill the chicken – turning several times. Cook to a temperature of 160 degrees and let rest for a few minutes and then serve. Alternately just as easy to fry in a pan on the stove.

Try serving over Kate’s pasta. And add some grated parmesan cheese. Yum!

If you’d like these chicken breasts for dinner but don’t have the time to do the preparations, we have them in our meat case, seasoned and ready for the grill!

Enjoy.

David Theiss is owner of Butler Gourmet Meats, serving Carson City for more than 50 years.