Green Chile Cheese Chicken

Pinterest is one of the greatest websites of all time. It is incredibly useful, entertaining and makes life easier in so many ways. This is especially true when deciding what to make for dinner. You can enter just one ingredient and thousands of options are at your fingertips.

Green chile and chicken are ingredients I often search for. There is one recipe always popping up that seems very tempting. This chicken appears to be slathered in a cheese sauce of sorts with spicy little flecks in it and covered with more cheese. 

This looks like something I would just love and adore. It also looks like something that would make me want to lay on the floor for the next hour. This would most likely include the dramatic phrase "I'm so full I could die." A few eye rolls from my husband would follow as well. 

So instead of looking and longing after this recipe yet again, I decided to make my own less rich version of it. It meets all of the same requirements: tender chicken, green chile and some delicious cheese. However, this also includes really good flavor from all the veggies in it. It's almost like a thick and chunky salsa warmed up. This is perfect with rice, in a tortilla or even scooped up with some crunchy corn chips. 

Ingredients

3 - 4 chicken breasts or thighs

2 teaspoons taco seasoning, separated

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup or 1 small can diced green chilies

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

For the chicken, season each piece very well with 1 teaspoon of the taco seasoning while the oil heats up in a large sauce pan. Brown each side of the chicken over medium heat. The chicken is not done on the inside, but should have a nice crusty outside.

 Throw the bell pepper and onion in the remaining oil and season with the taco seasoning you have left. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes to get some nice color on the veggies. 

 After the peppers and onions have cooked for a few minutes, add the diced tomatoes, green chile and honey into the pan. Anytime I use canned tomatoes, I like to balance the acid with a little sweetness. Don't worry, you won't taste the honey, but you will notice if it is missing. Also, pardon my disgusting stove.

Add the browned pieces of chicken back to the pan along with any juices they may have produced. Cover this with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is done on the inside.

 

You will know this is ready for some cheese (yay!) when the chicken is very tender and the vegetables are pretty soft. 

Take the chicken out of the pan (again) and shred this into bite sized pieces. Add this back to the pan and watch it drink up all the  spicy and flavorful sauce. 

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the whole pan and let this melt for a few seconds. 

My favorite way to eat this is over a bowl of steamy rice with a sprinkle of extra cheese on the top. You will love this super flavorful, juicy and cheesy chicken dinner!