Smothered Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
• 8 bacon strips
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Mix flour, bread crumbs, garlic salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Coat each chicken breast with flour mixture.

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving bacon drippings; drain bacon on paper towels.

Cook and stir coated chicken breasts in the bacon drippings until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side; remove and keep warm.

Cook and stir onion, lemon-pepper seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar in the same skillet until onion is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

Arrange chicken breasts on a baking sheet; top each breast with 2 bacon slices. Top with caramelized onion and Colby-Monterey Jack cheese.

Broil chicken breasts until cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes.