Easy & Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken

This may be the easiest Mexican dinner you'll ever make, or at least the best tasting easy one!

Cheesy salsa verde chicken only requires three delicious ingredients: chicken breasts, salsa verde and cheese!  (All in the name, right? :)  I also seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper and cumin for extra flavor to penetrate the meat.  This cooks together in a cast iron skillet or (any other baking pan) to a zesty, cheesy chicken dish!

It tastes delicious over a bed of brown or Mexican rice.  I found this awesome organic brown rice at Trader Joes that is not only inexpensive, but only take about 12 minutes to cook verses 40 minute regular rice.  I love it!  Add more flavor to your rice by cooking it in chicken broth instead of water and adding seasoning right into the rice/liquid mixture before cooking.  No more bland rice!

I also made our favorite "Cuban style" black beans flavored with diced onion, fresh garlic, cumin and paprika.  Serve the delicious cheesy salsa verde chicken with sour cream and extra salsa if you like! Cilantro would be beautiful but we don't like the flavor. (I know, weird.) Be sure and give a squeeze of fresh lime juice over your plate before serving to add a bright flavor that balances all the spice.  

I think you're going to go back to this delicious Mexican dinner time and time again for a quick weeknight supper.  I know we will!!

 

Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken

Recipe from: Posed Perfection

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2-3 Chicken Breasts, cut in half (I actually cut these length and width-wise to make cutlets.)

1 jar Salsa Verde (green tomatillo salsa)

1 c. of your favorite shredded Cheese (I freshly grated pepper jack and sharp cheddar)

Salt & pepper

Ground Cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or 9x13 inch pan.  Lay out the chicken pieces evenly.  Season chicken with spices.  Pour salsa over the chicken and bake for 15-20 minutes.  

Turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees, take the pan out, and spread the cheese evenly over the chicken.  Return to cook another 10-15 more minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. The salsa will bubble, and the cheese will get nice and gooey.  Salt a bit more just after coming out of the oven.

Serve the chicken (and extra salsa in the pan) over the rice or cut up and in tortillas as a yummy taco.  Enjoy!

Serves 3-4