BACON RANCH CHICKEN SKEWERS

BACON RANCH CHICKEN SKEWERS 1/3 cup ranch dressing 1 teaspoon hot chile paste (such as sambal oelek) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces 24 (1-inch) pieces red onion 12 slices thick cut bacon salt and black pepper to taste 12 (6 inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 2 hours Whisk together ranch dressing and hot chile paste in a large bowl. Mix in chicken pieces and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from the bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels. Thread a piece of onion about 1 1/2 inches down the skewer. Thread the end portion of one strip of bacon onto skewer so the rest of the strip is hanging down. Skewer on a piece of chicken; thread on the next portion of the bacon. Turn the skewer so that the long end of the bacon is again hanging down. Repeat this process of skewering and turning until the entire strip of bacon is threaded, using 4 to 5 chicken pieces. Thread a second piece of onion onto the end of the skewer. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for all twelve skewers. Season chicken skewers with salt and pepper as desired. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned on all sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, 12 to 16 minutes total per skewer. Serve with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.