Hasselback Chicken with Bacon, Ham and Cheddar

Why should potatoes have all the fun? Take ordinary chicken breasts and jazz them up with savory ingredients, like bacon, ham and cheddar! It's super simple to do, and the presentation is outrageous! Note: I used bacon, ham and cheddar, but you can add other ingredients too, like fresh basil leaves, mozzarella, pepperoni...

Note: I used one LARGE chicken breast half for this recipe - it was almost 1 pound! You can create individual servings by using smaller chicken breast halves (about 4-5 ounces each). 

Hasselback Chicken with Bacon, Ham and Cheddar

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, or 4 smaller chicken breast halves
1/4 pound sliced ham (I used Black Forest ham)
4-6 slices cooked bacon (I used Hickory Smoked)
4-6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a shallow baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray. 
Using a sharp knife, make several slices crosswise into the chicken, without cutting all the way through (make the slices about 1-inch apart). Insert ham, cheese and bacon slices into the openings. 
Transfer the chicken to the baking pan and drizzle the top with olive oil. Season the top with salt and pepper. 
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 

Serves 4