Smothered Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 8  bacon strips 
• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 0.3 cup brown sugar packed
• 0.5 cup colby-monterey jack cheese shredded
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon penzey's southwest seasoning italian
• 0.3 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 
• 1  onion sliced
• 0.1 teaspoon pepper flakes red to taste
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
• 24 ounce chicken breast halves boneless skinless thin

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• oven
• broiler
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Mix flour, bread crumbs, garlic salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Coat each chicken breast with flour mixture.
2. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving bacon drippings; drain bacon on paper towels.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
7. Arrange chicken breasts on a baking sheet; top each breast with 2 bacon slices. Top with caramelized onion and Colby-Monterey Jack cheese.
8. Broil chicken breasts until cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes.