Pan Seared Oven Roasted Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast w/ Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash and Asparagus

Dinner Tonight: Pan Seared Oven Roasted Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast W/ Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash and Asparagus






For Breakfast on this Fall morning I prepared 2 Jennie - O Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links,

Scrambled 2 Eggs, toasted a Healthy Life Whole Grain English Muffin, ans a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. Hearty Breakfast for a Hearty Appetite this morning! It feels more like a Spring Day than Fall, sunny and 79 degrees. After Breakfast I started a couple of loads of laundry for Mom. Then ran the vacuum and dusted. On outside, I got the leaf blower out along with the cart. Cleaned around the and deck, lots of leaves out there. Everything done and sat back the rest of the day and watched some College Football. For Dinner tonight its a Fall Comfort Food Dinner. I prepared Pan Seared Oven Roasted Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast W/ Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash and Asparagus.

For Dinner I prepared some Pan Seared Oven Roasted Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast .I used Kroger - Simple Truth Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts. To make the dish I'll need; 3 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts, 1 tablespoon Light Olive Oil, Litehouse Poultry Herb Blend, and McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Peppercorn Medley.






To prepare them I started by preheating the oven on 400 degrees. Then heated a Cast Iron Skillet on

medium high heat, adding a tablespoon of Light Olive Oil. I then removed the Chicken Breasts from its packaging and patted dry. Next seasoned the Chicken with the Poultry Herb Blend and Grinder Sea Salt and the Peppercorn Medley. By now the Skillet has heated up, add the Chicken to the Skillet. Brown both sides for 3-4 minutes each. Get them to almost the color you want when eating. Transfer the Skillet to the oven, love these Cast Iron Skillets! Bake for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature of the Chicken is at 165 degrees. Remove from the oven when done and let cool for about 3 minutes and serve and enjoy! The Chicken came out perfect and seasoned just right. I really love using the Litehouse Poultry Herb Blend, it gives Chicken a great flavor.

To go with the Chicken; For one side dish I prepared some Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash. The family  loves this dish, it turned me into a huge fan of Butternut Squash. It does take a little time and effort to make this dish but the reward is truly one of my favorite side dishes! What takes so long is peeling and dicing the Butternut Squash. You either have to have one heavy duty sharp knife or have the produce department where you purchase the Squash dice it up for you, which is what I did at the local Kroger.

To make it I’ll need; 6 pieces of Jennie – O Turkey Bacon, 5 cups peeled and cubed Butternut Squash, 1 cup Pecans, roughly chopped, ¼ cup Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Syrup, 2-3 tablespoons Bacon Fat (rendered from cooking bacon), ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt. I used Turkey Bacon instead of the regular Bacon, Sugar Free Maple Syrup, and added the dash of Nutmeg. Which varies from the other recipes I found, I always try to cut calories and carbs from all recipes. The combinations of the Squash, Pecans, Honey, and Spices make one delicious dish! The recipe is at the end of the post, this is one you’ll want to try!


For another side dish I prepared Roasted Asparagus. To prepare the Asparagus I needed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic (minced), Sea Salt, Freshly grated Black Peppercorn, Lemon Juice, and Shredded Parmesan Cheese. To prepare it; Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard. Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly seasoned. Place pan in the preheated 400 degree oven and roast for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice and shredded Parm Cheese before serving. I think this meal is what Fall is all about! Excellent Dinner tonight. For Dessert later a Weight Watcher's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bar.







Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
6 pieces of Jennie – O Turkey Bacon
5 cups peeled and cubed Butternut Squash
1 cup Pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Syrup
2-3 tablespoons Bacon Fat (rendered from cooking bacon)
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 - Place strips of bacon on a foil lined baking sheet
3 - Cook bacon for 20 minutes. Bacon should still be slightly soft (not crispy) when you pull it out of the oven. Remove from baking sheet to cool on a paper towel lined plate. Chop bacon into small pieces once cooled. Place the rendered bacon fat in a large bowl.
4 - Add the cubed butternut squash, pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt to the large bowl with the bacon fat.
5 - Mix together to coat the squash well. Add pieces of bacon to the mixture and mix well.
6 - Add mixture to a 9×11 glass baking dish.
7 - Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
8 - Place dish in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes (depending on size of cubed butternut squash) or until squash is soft.
Serve immediately.