Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles

I’ve been trying a bunch of Pampered Chef recipes and the latest one is the Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles, which can be found in the 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2 cookbook.  This actually came out really tasty and I’m totally going to be adding it to our dinner rotation.  However, I am making a few changes.

The first one being to the cheeses.  The recipe originally calls for 2 cups of Chihuahua cheese and while this was good, it took me a bit to find it in the grocery store.  It’s one of those imported/exotic cheese and I’m lucky Meijer carried it. However, the reason I’m changing it is simply the cost.  I spent close to $8 on the cheese along for this recipe and that’s ridiculous.  Maybe I’m being cheap, but why go that route when the Chihuahua cheese can be substituted with Monterey Jack?  For the Queso Fresco (a/k/a Queso Blanco), there’s a substitute for that as well and I’ll be using the Farmer’s Cheese for that the next time around.

For the seasoning, I already had Taco on hand, so I didn’t see a reason to find the special Southwestern Seasoning Mix that the Pampered Chef sold. Especially not for one recipe.  I don’t know what makes that certain seasoning special, but Jesse really liked it with the taco.  I did put more than the 1 tbsp the recipe calls for, but I didn’t put on as much as one normally would with taco seasoning.  Basically, while I was cooking the chicken, I threw in 1/4 cup of water and sprinkled a bunch of the taco seasoning on.  BUT I did do something different while cooking the chicken.  Instead of cooking all the chicken at once, I split it into two batches.  The first had the seasoning/water added straight to the pan; the second one soaked in the seasoning/water while the other was cooking.  I’m not sure if this made a difference, but I think the chicken came out a little moister than normal because of it.

Oh yeah, one thing I did forget about.  This recipe was designed to be done in the microwave with the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker.  However, I’m not a big fan of microwave cooking – it takes more effort than throwing something in the oven – so I didn’t. Instead, I skipped the first step and just browned the chicken in taco seasoning via skillet and then started with step 2.  I baked the dish in the oven, at 350 degrees F, for about 30-45 minutes.  Since I did still use my deep covered baker, which is stoneware, I kept it in the oven closer to 45 minutes and it came out perfectly.

Otherwise, the family really liked the Chilaquiles.  It’s definitely something we’ll be making again.  Jesse’s only comment: “they are tasty”.

Cheesy Chicken ChilaquilesIngredients:
1-1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp taco seasoning mix
1-3/4 cups salsa verde
1 cup 33% reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 cups authentic tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
sour cream

Directions:

  1. Cut chicken into 1-in pieces. Combine chicken and seasoning mix in skillet and cook; mix well. Spread chicken evenly over bottom of baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Microwave, covered, an additional 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain.
  2. Combine salsa and broth. Chop cilantro. Arrange half of the tortilla chips over bottom of same baker, breaking chips; top with half each of the chicken, salsa mixture and cheeses. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the cilantro. Repeat layers one time, ending with cheeses.
  3. Microwave, covered on high 5-7 minutes or until cheeses are melted and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Info: 410 calories; 19g total fat; 8g saturated fat; 85mg cholesterol; 30g carbohydrate; 30g protein; 680mg sodium; 1g fiber
Diabetic exchanges: 2 starch, 2 medium-meat, ½ fat (2 carb)

October 18, 2010 · jackie · No Comments
Tags: ,  Â· Posted in: Chicken

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