Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles

**Picture taken of cook book page. I will take a picture of our dish tonight.**

Credit: The Pampered Chef, 29 minutes to dinner volume 2
Recipe: Pulled from paper cook book. See below.

1 1/2lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix
1 3/4 cups salsa verde
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 cups authentic restaurant-style tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Chilhuahua cheese (substitute Mild Cheddar or Monterrey Jack)
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Sour cream or crema (optional)

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Combine chicken and seasoning mix in Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker; 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.

Combine salsa and broth in measuring/pouring cup or bowl. 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 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Repeat layers one time, ending with cheeses.

Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7minutes or until cheeses are melted and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Yields: 8 servings
Nutrients: Calories 410, Total Fat 19g, Sat Fat 8g, Cholesterol 85mg, Carbohydrate 30g, Protein 30g, Sodium 680mg, Fiber 1g

Cochran Review: We are making this for the first time tonight, Valentine's Day. It is quite a bit more Sat Fat than we like to have for a meal, but it is way less than if we went out to dinner tonight! So, if this turns out well, it will definitely be a treat meal, not a weekly staple! I'll let you know what we think.

The recipe calls for The Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. This dish is amazing. If you enjoy cooking with the microwave, it makes oven like meals in a much shorter time. However, you can also use this dish in the oven! So, if you choose the oven, you'll probably have to add time to the above times. I believe it costs about $85. I can tell you, I haven't regretted buying one time!
Well, unfortunately, this meal packed a lot of fat, but not a lot of flavor. Boo! It has been a long time since I've had a disappointing new meal. I think it has the potential to be good w/ a few tweaks. I would not put the chips in the casserole next time. I cut way back on the quantity it called for, but it was still a lot of soggy chip texture and taste. Next time, I think I would put a very thin layer of brown rice and then black beans on top of that, and follow the recipe without chips. Also, it may be good to add a chopped, seeded jalapeno. I would not omit chips from the meal entirely... let's not get hasty! :) I would just serve them on the side. Also, we enjoyed Crema Mexicana and Wholly Guacamole with the meal. If you try this and tweak it slightly in the way I recommended or with your own ideas, let me know how it goes!

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