Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Food

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH JALAPEñO CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with the salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Add to pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
• Remove chicken breasts from the skillet to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. (They will finish cooking later.)
• Reduce heat to medium and add remaining two teaspoons olive oil to pan.
• Add diced onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
• Add chicken broth and cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and mixture is simmering.
• Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and turn to coat in the cheese sauce.
• Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 7-9 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. (It will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are.) I like to spoon some of the sauce over the chicken breasts halfway through the cooking time.
• Serve chicken breasts with extra sauce spooned over the top, and enjoy!

BACON-WRAPPED JALAPEñO POPPER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wear gloves to protect your hands and use a small paring knife to cut the stem-end off the jalapeño; you should see the white ribs attached to the walls of the jalapeño. Use the paring knife to remove the ribs from the walls. Make a cut down the length of the jalapeño from the top to the tip. Carefully, without breaking the jalapeño in half, scrape out the ribs and seeds. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, add 3 tablespoons water, cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the jalapeños turn olive green and are lightly softened but are still firm and hold their shape, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.
• Stuff each cooled jalapeño with a piece of cream cheese; squeeze the walls around the cream cheese to force out any air pockets and to seal the jalapeño walls together.
• Mix together the cumin, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Pound the chicken lengthwise down the breast to make a rectangular 1/4-inch-thick cutlet. Sprinkle with a quarter of the seasoned salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken and seasoned salt.
• With one of the narrow ends of the chicken facing you, lay a piece of Colby Jack cheese at the bottom of the cutlet. Place 1 stuffed jalapeño crosswise on top of the cheese about 2 inches from the bottom. Tightly roll up the chicken and the cheese around the jalapeño, folding in the sides as you roll. Repeat with the remaining chicken and jalapeños.
• Lay 5 strips of bacon on a clean work surface so that the strips are slightly overlapping (about 1/4-inch) and are wide enough to completely cover a chicken roll. Place 1 chicken roll at the bottom of the bacon blanket. Wrap the bacon tightly over the chicken roll. Repeat with the remaining bacon and chicken rolls.
• Prepare a grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high heat.
• Place the chicken rolls, bacon seam-side down, on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until the bacon is beginning to brown and the cheese is beginning to melt and ooze from the sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken rolls to the hot side of the grill and cook until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

JALAPENO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub chicken pieces with the mixture, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, blend chicken broth, honey, lime juice, and jalapeno. Cook and stir until thickened.
• Place chicken in the preheated oven and cook about 15 minutes. Begin basting periodically with the chicken broth mixture. Continue cooking 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

JALEPENO CHEDDAR CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Cook chicken, shred, and set aside.
• Melt butter in soup pot. Saute garlic and jalepenos.
• Add flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring until the mixture is a paste, but you can still see bubbles from the butter.
• Add chicken broth slowly while stirring mixture. Same for milk and cream of chicken.
• Slowly raise temperature of soup to just below boiling point. Stir frequently.
• Whisk in about 1/4c of cheese until completely melted. Repeat until all cheese is melted into soup. (If you add cheese all at once it will ball up and soup will be stringy).
• Once cheese is melted in add chicken.
• Stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper until smooth.
• Enjoy!