Hot and Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken

I just ate this last night and I already want it again. It was THAT good and THAT addictive... I was scooping sauce out of the baking dish and eating it after I finished my plate and was sad when it was gone. What a great dish to celebrate my blog's 5th anniversary!!!

So what is this great recipe? It's for Hot and Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken. I first saw it pinned on pinterest from this blog, Just Cook NYC.  The full recipe wasn't written out, so I found the original recipe in the book Hot and Cheesy by Clifford A. Wright.

After reading it, I (of course) decided to make some changes. The original sauce was simply jalapenos, milk, and cream. I added garlic and cilantro to add some depth of flavor. I also seasoned the chicken with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper - the original recipe did not call for seasoning the chicken. Finally, I reduced the amount of butter called for, used light cream instead of heavy cream, and used a mix of Mexican cheeses instead of only Monterrey Jack.

I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves cheesy, bubbly sauces. And even if you aren't the biggest fan of heat, don't worry - the heat from the jalapenos mellows with cooking. Below is my variation of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 jalapenos, seeds and veins removed, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• small handful of cilantro
• 1/4 c whole milk
• 1.5 tbsp butter, separated
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 c light cream
• Salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• A few shakes each of chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper
• Approximately 1/2 c shredded Mexican cheeses (I used a blend of Mexican cheeses by Kraft)

Directions

• In a blender, puree the jalapenos, garlic, cilantro and milk.
• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saute pan over medium heat; add the flour and whisk to make a roux. Add the jalapeno sauce and cream, and stir until bubbling, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt. At this point the sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook the chicken - preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter in a saute pan.
• Season chicken; add to the pan. Cook 2 minutes per side (you are just searing/browning the chicken).
• Transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Pour the jalapeno sauce over the chicken, then top with the cheese.
• Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Optional: garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

I hope you love this as much as I did!!!