Alice Springs is a town located in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is situated in the central part of the country, approximately in the geographic center of Australia. The town is surrounded by vast deserts and is known for its unique desert landscape and indigenous culture and serves as a hub for exploring the Australian Outback. What a great place to name a delicious chicken entree after!
Americans began a love affair with all things Australian in the 1980’s. Paul Hogan, Crocodile Dundee, “shrimp on the barbie” and Outback Steakhouse’s. Maybe because Australia is on the other side of the world from us and seems like such an exotic place to those that have never been. But, something tells me that those examples don’t represent the “real” Australia.
Every March, my family would travel to Sarasota, Florida from Chicago to escape the below-zero temperatures and enjoy the sun and surf. My father discovered the Outback Steakhouse and we would eat there every time we traveled. This was in the late 80’s and Outback hadn’t made it north to Chicago yet. He loved it…the huge steak knives, the fact that the servers would “scoot” you over and take your order sitting in the booth (yes, they used to do that) and, of course, the Bloomin’ Onion. Now there are 1,000 Outback Steakhouse’s worldwide and is owned by Bloomin’ Brands, who also owns Carrabba’s, Fleming’s Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill.
The Alice Springs Chicken is such a popular menu item, that it has been featured on Outback’s menu since day 1 and they have never considered taken it off. The combination of the savory, salty bacon and the sweet honey mustard marinade makes it a favorite among Outback fans. I suggest making some extra honey mustard to dip the chicken in when serving. Just make sure not to use the leftover marinade once it “meets” the chicken. Safety first, friends!!
Serve the Alice Springs Chicken with Outback’s Gold Coast Shrimp and their Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad and you’ll feel like you.ve been transported to the Australian Outback! Well, maybe not entirely. But you will have a delicious dinner on your table, without the bill! Tips to the Chef are always appreciated, though. Enjoy!
Combine mustard, honey, paprika, lemon juice and garlic. Blend well. Reserve ½ of a cup of the marinade and set aside. Pour remaining marinade over chicken, coat thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Cook bacon until crispy and set aside. Grate cheese and set aside. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter until sizzling. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Once the chicken has been marinated 2 hours, grill the chicken on a very hot All Clad indoor grill pan for 4 minutes per side, brushing extra marinade over the breasts. Place grilled chicken breasts on an oven sheet. Criss-cross 2 slices of bacon on top of each breast. Scoop ¼ of the mushrooms over each bacon-topped breast and top each with ¼ of a cup of the cheddar and ¼ cup of the jack cheeses. Broil in a preheated oven for 7-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Serve with extra honey-mustard (fresh, not the marinade). Garnish with parsley.
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Instructions
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