Tasty Thursday: Unrolled Chicken Roll-Ups

**I can't believe I forgot this, but head on over to the Pumkin Patch for more Tasty Thursday recipes!**

This recipe started out as a great rolled-up chicken dish. However, time, kids, and a desire for much more sauce (and my ever present fear of "Did I cook the chicken enough? Let's cook it a little longer..."), created what I call Un-Rolled Chicken Roll-Ups. I will include the rolled version, since it presents nicely on a plate, but I do love the un-rolled version too.


**Measurements are approximate since I really just dump everything in. I also have a big family, so the more the better.**



Chicken Skillet, should serve 8 or so depending on appetites

2 (8 oz) containers Chive & Onion cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1-4 Tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper
2 (9 oz) packages frozen cubed chicken, or a pound of chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 package precooked bacon, cooked very crisp
3-4 cups prepared rice, use the longer cooking rice if you can, but 5 minute rice works alright too (you should only need around a cup or so of longer cooking rice, because it cooks differently than quick rice)


In a 2 quart pot, cook the rice according to directions. You can have this cooking while you're making the rest of the food.

In a large skillet, melt and combine the cream cheese and butter over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken, and allow it to simmer until the chicken is heated through. This should take about the time it takes to make your rice. If it seems too thick, add some of the milk.

Add the cooked rice (and if you're using the longer cooking rice, make sure it's completely cooked through, otherwise it makes the dish taste bad). Add as much as you want to mix in through the sauce and chicken. (We like lots and lots of rice, but others might not like the extra rice we put in.) Season with lots of salt and some pepper. Top with the crispy bacon, crumbled up.


Chicken Roll-Ups

4-6 Chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
1 (8 oz) container Chive & Onion Cream cheese, softened
4-6 slices uncooked bacon
Prepared rice, for 4-6 people

Spread each chicken breast with the softened cream cheese, and dot with butter. Roll up, and secure with the bacon. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes, or until meat is cooked. Serve the chicken on top of the rice, and mix up the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Pour it over the top of the chicken.

Note: You can turn the chicken over halfway through baking to make the bacon more crisp, and you can also place it under a broiler for a few moments to crisp it as well.