Chicken Carbonara

Every time I make this dish, Chris says he would marry me all over again. It's darn delicious. Oh the rich and creamy sauce is to die for! Quite a bit of prep, but TOTALLY worth it. And it feeds an army. You could cut the recipe in half, but I like to make it all at once, and freeze the other half in a separate casserole dish.

Chicken:
1 cup EVOO
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 lbs boneless chicken strips
1/4 cup crumbled bacon

Sauce:
1 cup butter (yep, a whole cup!)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons crumbled bacon
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
3 tablespoons romano cheese
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko are the best here)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

2 lbs. cooked pasta (thicker noodle - linguine, fettucine)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Whisk extra virgin olive oil together with hot water, seasoning and chopped garlic. Add the chicken strips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Melt butter in an extra large skillet/saucepan (you'll be adding in the pasta and chicken later) over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add flour, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, milk, pepper and salt. Use a whisk to whip all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.

Combine Romano, Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, chopped garlic, melted butter in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Preheat skillet. Add chicken mixture to pan. Add garlic and bacon. Cook chicken on both sides.

Add chicken (oil and all) to the cream sauce. Stir until well blended. Add in cooked pasta. Place in greased 9x13 glass dish.

Evenly distribute topping over chicken. Place in broiler until top is golden brown (just a few minutes).

Serve immediately, enjoy and then go hibernate!