cheddar ranch chicken

i love ranch dressing. no seriously. i LOVE it. but somehow i have always found the ranch at restaurants to be so much better than the store bought bottles. did you know that hidden valley ranch is the original, first ranch dressing created? maybe i need to put up a recipe for creating it here-- but for now, here is a dish that uses ranch, along with many other distinctive flavors. i would say that the green onions are key to pulling everything together, appealing to all three strong tastes of ranch, teryaki sauce, and cheddar.

--> feasting facts - CHEDDAR CHEESE:
what's the difference between mild and sharp cheddar? age. the longer a cheese is allowed to age, the stronger (or sharper) its flavor. they are also different in terms of how easily they melt- the younger, the quicker it will melt.


cheddar ranch chicken
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 c. teryaki sauce
1/4 c. ranch dressing
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1.5 green onions, chopped
1/4 can bacon bits
1.5 tsp parsley, chopped
pinch pepper
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

combine oil, teryaki and ranch; marinate chicken ahead of time.

heat oven to 350.

heat some oil in a skillet over medium-low; saute on each side (about 4-5 min each) until light brown.

arrange chicken in dish, pour leftover marinade on top. sprinkle green onions, bacon, parsley, and pepper on top. bake for about 30 minutes; add cheese 15 minutes before done. serves 3.

*this recipe is a slightly modified version of this one. i just made the sauce into a marinade, which holds the flavor for longer, and only cooked the cheese toward the end. you could also use a slow-cooker.