When a delicacy starts off with bacon, not much can go wrong, and this scrumptious chicken dish is the epitome of that statement. Although the required ingredients are minimal and the preparation is relatively simple, each bite represents an interesting and unexpected depth of flavor.

• 4 medium-to-large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6-to-8 bacon strips
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6-to-8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Begin by wrapping each chicken breast with the bacon. Depending on how much bacon flavor you want, you can do 1-to-2 strips per breast, but make sure there are no overlapped strips. After all the chicken has been wrapped, set it aside on a baking sheet. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a sauté pan. Once it’s completely liquid, add the olive oil and heat until simmering slightly. Add the brown sugar and vigorously whisk until all the sugar has dissolved. Add salt and pepper and mix well.

Rub each chicken breast with the oil-butter mixture and return them to the baking sheet. Bake for 5-to-7 minutes and flip. Continue this process until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the bacon strips are crispy.

While the chicken is in the oven, place the sage leaves in the remaining oil-butter mixture and pan fry until crisp. Once crunchy, place each on a paper towel so all the extra oil is absorbed.

To serve, you can pair it with a nice potato dish and a leafy green (my favorite is mashed potatoes and kale). Eat the sage leaves as a garnish on top of the chicken, and enjoy.

Adria Kelly can be reached at [email protected].

(anotherpintplease/flickr)

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