alice springs skillet

As much as I love a good local restaurant, I’m never going to understand the hate for chains. Who doesn’t love a fluffy, buttery Olive Garden breadstick? Or the stuffed-cheese crust from Pizza Hut? Or the crab wontons from P.F. Chang’s? I could go on and on. But there’s one chain that, for me and my family, rises above the rest: The Outback Steakhouse.

Maybe it’s sentimentality. After all, my parents had their first blind date there, and we’ve celebrated countless family birthdays and special events at those dark wood tables in dim lighting, surrounded by maps of Australia and watched over by the inevitable picture of Steve Irwin. Since I’ve been there so often, you’d think I’ve tried everything on their menu. But alas. Every time, one dish gets its delicious little claws into my heart: the Alice Springs chicken. It’s grilled chicken smothered in bacon, mushrooms, cheese, and honey mustard, served alongside a salty baked potato.

The other day, I found myself besieged by boredom and the intense desire for this dish, matched only by my intense desire not to deal with chicken. I had a genius idea: an Alice Springs chicken-inspired skillet. And it turned out beautifully. Heaps of golden-brown potatoes under buttery mushrooms, crispy bacon, bubbling cheese, and chives for color. And, of course, the honey mustard. It’s easy to adapt this for any meal with some chicken or steak or eggs—or you can eat it straight out of the pan. Just make sure you wait for it to cool enough before you dig in. Learn from my mistakes.

directions

1. Make the mustard. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. I like mine with more mustard than honey, so try it and adjust to your taste. Set aside.
2. Make the bacon. I prefer to bake mine at 400 for about 20 minutes, but this will vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on it! Once it’s done, cool, drain, crumble, and set aside.
3. While the bacon is baking, make the potatoes. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until the butter is bubbling a little, and then add the potatoes. Stir to coat in butter. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and stir again. Then walk away for five minutes and DO NOT TOUCH the potatoes. Once they are starting to turn golden-brown on the bottom, add a few dollops of honey mustard and mix through. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cover. The honey mustard will help the potatoes get a nice crust on the bottom. These will take about 20 minutes to cook—make sure to check on them and stir them every once in a while, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the skillet. Add more butter or oil if they start to get too dry.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, make the mushrooms. Add 2 tablespoons of butter or oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and season with a couple of pinches of salt and garlic powder. Cook until they start to turn brown, about 5 minutes, and then add them to the potatoes for the last 8-10 minutes of cooking.
5. When the potatoes are crispy and tender when pierced with a fork, top with crumbled bacon and cheese. Place the lid back on the skillet to melt the cheese, 3-4 minutes.
6. Garnish with chives and serve with honey mustard.