Outback's Alice Springs Chicken - My Copycat Version

We don't dine out all that often but when we do, I try to test out something different from what we usually prepare at home.  One of my favorite dishes is found at Outback Steakhouse and is listed on the menu as Alice Springs Chicken.  It is a combination of chicken breast, bacon, mushrooms, and Monterey Jack Cheese.  Yum!

Here is the recipe as I adapted it from a blog called Lauren's Kitchen.

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons butter
3 thick slices of onion
8 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Teaspoons chopped, fresh parsley or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

• Combine the mustard, hone, butter, and lemon juice in a small bowl.  
• Place the chicken in a large plastic zipper bag and add 1/3 of the mustard mixture to coat the chicken well.
• Close the bag and marinate this a couple of hours or as long as overnight (like I did).
• After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a frying pan and melt 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter.
• Remove chicken from marinade (toss the marinade in the trash) and sear the chicken in the frying pan and butter for about 3 minutes per side.
• Place chicken in a baking pan or glass dish that has been sprayed lightly with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.
• Fry 8 slices of bacon till crisp and reserve about half the grease (2 Tablespoons).
• Saute' the mushrooms and onions in the combination of 1 Tablespoons butter and reserved bacon grease.
• Brush each seared chicken with 1/2 of the reserved mustard marinade, saving the last portion of marinade to use as a sauce for the finished dish.
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
• Stack the top with two slices of bacon.
• Spoon the sauteed mushrooms and onions onto the bacon.
• Top with a sprinkle of the cheeses.
• Bake the pan of prepared chicken breasts for 7-10 minutes or till cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve, using extra honey mustard marinade as a dipping sauce.

We enjoyed this on July 4th with The Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes and a tossed salad.  Yum!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

This is a recipe that is adapted from The Neelys who have a cooking show on The Food Network.  I think theirs was for a fish sandwich but we like it with a baked potato and salad just as well!

Ingredients:
Nonstick Vegetable Cooking Spray
4 Tablespoons Butter, melted
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 heaping Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill (or 1 scant Tablespoon Dried Dill)
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
Salt and black Pepper to taste
4 Tilapia Fillets
2-3 Tablespoons Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place a heavy-duty baking pan sprayed with vegetable spray in the oven to heat.
• Mix together the butter, mustard, and dill in a pie plate or shallow bowl.
• Combine bread crumbs, salt, cayenne and black peppers, and seasoning in another pie plate or shallow bowl.
• Dredge the fish through the butter mixture and then through the crumb mixture.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Immediately place on the hot cooking pan in the oven and bake until cooked through and lightly golden (about 15 minutes).

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

I found this recipe on Pinterest because I had a bushel of zucchini!  It originated from NancyCreative.  It is divinely delicious and could be a dessert!  Here it is:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated zucchini (You don't need to peel the zucchini before grating it!)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease/flour a 9 x 5" loaf pan; set aside.
• In a large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well.
• Add canola oil and sugar and blend well.
• Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend well.
• Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed into mixture.
• Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl in three increments, blending after each addition - but don't over-mix!
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Smaller loaf pans may take 5-10 minutes more.
• Cool in pan 10 minutes; then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

• In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice till bell blended.
• Spoon glaze over cooled loaf.
• Let glaze set and serve!

Joann G's Zucchini Bread

My friend Joann G gave us a loaf of this bread one year for Christmas.  It was delicious.  I begged for the recipe and here it is.  I hope my loaf is as tasty as hers!

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pecan pieces

• Grease/flour two loaf pans.
• Cream together eggs and sugar.
• Add oil and vanilla.
• Add zucchini.
• Stir dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
• Add chopped pecans.
• Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.