Engagement Chicken

Chris and I have always joked about making "engagement chicken" ever since I stumbled upon it while surfing the internet. The thought behind it is that an eligible female makes it for her beau when she wants him to commit by cooking a chicken dinner "like a wife would make" that's so tasty that he just has to propose to her. I never made the actual recipe (I think it was a roasted lemon chicken) but we made up this recipe the other day and decided that it's too delicious to not be engagement chicken. Of course, we were already engaged, but you get the point.

Our Spin on ENGAGEMENT CHICKEN

2 large chicken breasts

½ c bisquick

2 tbsp Italian seasoning or McCormick Salt-Free Seasoning

1 tbsp salt

½ tbsp freshly gound black pepper

2 large red peppers, sliced into long thin strips

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

6 vine ripened cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 tbsp EVOO

2 tbsp basil pesto

1 tsp salt

1 ½ c chicken broth

1 tbsp bisquick (dissolved in 2 tbsp water)

2 c brown instant rice

1 ¾ c water (or according to directions on box)

1. In a ziplock bag combine the dry ingredients and shake to mix

2. Rinse chicken, place in bag and shake to coat; grill until inside of chicken is no longer pink

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and chop veggies

4. Sauté peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes before adding basil pesto, salt, chicken broth and bisquick; continue to let simmer and thicken

5. Boil rice according to instructions on packaging

6. Plate chicken breast on bed of rice, cover with sautéed veggies