Thursday, December 3, 2009

Chicken by heart

I don't know about you, but isn't there something satisfying about knowing you've got a few good recipes stored in your head? You know, the kind where you can spontaneously grab the ingredients at the store, and trust that you have everything you need? There's something liberating about not having to open a cookbook and something wonderful about making a dish that uses less than 10 ingredients. This is one of those recipes. It comes from a former co-worker; and while it started out as a low fat dish, I have, of course, made some umm..changes. The dish comes together quickly and easily. After spending an hour in the oven, the chicken comes out tender, the sauce thick and spicy, and the whole thing is ready to be served over rice.

Salsa Chicken
4-6 pieces of boneless chicken (either breasts or thighs work well)
1 packet taco seasoning (low sodium works great)
1 jar salsa
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or any combo)
*Extras: chopped green chilies, black olives, 1/2 can black beans (rinsed and drained), 1/2 can of canned corn (drained). You can use any combo of these if you have them on hand.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa on the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Coat chicken pieces in taco seasoning and lay in pan. Cover chicken with 1 cup salsa. (At this point, you can add your toppings if you choose). Cover pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, bake uncovered for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

This looks scrumptious, Allison!!

Ventura Food Happenings said...

Hey, TLO- I was actually thinking about you when I posted this....let me know if you give it a try. Do you have any big holiday baking/cooking plans?