Pollo Relleno Southwestern Stuffed Chicken Food

POLLO RELLENO (STUFFED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• 1. Rinse chicken; pat dry. (Today, they say not to rinse chicken because it sprays bacteria everywhere)
• 2. Place each breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. (I use gal. size ziplock bags because they don't tear like plastic wrap) Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness. Remove plastic.
• 3. In a bowl combine cornmeal and seasoning mix. Place egg in another bowl. For each roll, place 1 chili pepper on a chicken piece. Place cheese strip atop chili pepper near one edge. (I place the cheese inside the pepper)Sprinkle with some of the cilantro and crushed red peppers. Fold in sides of chicken. Roll up, starting from edge with cheese. Repeat to make 6 rolls.
• 4. Dip rolls into egg, then into cornmeal mixture. Place rolls, seam down, in a shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Heat taco sauce. Sprinkle chicken with cheese, serve with sauce. Garnish with chopped tomato and cilantro, if desired.
• 5. Changes I made to how to serve. I top these rolls with shredded Mexican cheese blend, shredded lettuce, homemade salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and sliced black olives.
• 6. I serve this with Mexican/Spanish rice and Refritos on the side.

POLLO RELLENO!

Steps:

• Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap.
• In a bowl combine cornmeal and taco seasoning mix. Place egg in another bowl; beat lightly.
• For each roll, place a spoonful of chili pepper half on a chicken piece. Place a cheese stick atop chili pepper near an edge. Sprinkle with some of the cilantro or parsley, black pepper, and red pepper. Fold in sides; roll up jelly-roll style, starting from edge with cheese .
• Dip rolls into egg and coat with cornmeal mixture.
• Place rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow baking pan.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve with taco sauce or salsa. If desired, garnish with cilantro sprigs.
• Goes great with Zatarains Yellow Rice!

CHICKEN-STUF'T POTATO PUFFS: RELLENOS DE PAPA CON POLLO

Steps:

• Combine the butter and the sazon in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter has melted.
• In a medium bowl, combine the potato flesh, melted butter, heavy cream, 1 egg, cornstarch, chili powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt and pepper, to taste, and mash until evenly combined; set aside.
• For the filling: In another medium bowl add the peppers, chicken, oregano, and kosher salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well to combine and reserve.
• In a deep heavy-bottomed 12-inch pan, add about 3 inches of oil. When ready to fry the balls heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture into your hand and roll it into a ball. Using the back of a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon scoop or your finger, make an indentation in the ball leaving a pocket for the filling. Scoop a small amount of the chicken filling into the center of the potato and repeat to make a second ball. With the chicken filling facing the center, sandwich the first disk with the second and pinch to close off any seams. Roll lightly between your palms to form a ball. Continue with remaining filling and potato mixture.
• Lightly beat the remaining egg in a small bowl. Add the potato flakes to a shallow bowl or plate and season lightly with salt. Dip each ball into the beaten egg, then into the potato flakes. If the ball is not completely covered, put it back into the egg, then into the potato flakes for a second time. Set aside and repeat to coat all the balls. Fry the balls, in batches, until cooked through and golden, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and arrange on a serving platter to serve.

CHILE RELLENOS STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven the 375 degrees F.
• Place a chicken breast into a large Ziploc bag, close the bag almost all the way, then pound the chicken to a thickness to 1/2-inch thick; repeat with remaining breasts and set aside.
• Combine the grated cheese, cream cheese, onion, garlic, cilantro (if using), 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder in a bowl and stir well.
• Take each canned whole chile pepper and stuff with a quarter of the cheese mixture.
• Take a flattened chicken breast and place a cheese-stuffed chile pepper on top, then roll the chicken breast around the pepper and fold in the sides; secure the roll with wooden toothpicks so that the toothpicks are as flat against the meat as possible (makes dredging easier).
• Repeat with all breasts and chile peppers.
• Beat the egg and milk together and pour into a shallow dish or pan.
• Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, the remaining cumin and chili powder, and salt, and pour onto another shallow dish or pan.
• Dredge the rolled chicken breast in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs and coat well.
• Bake the rolls on an un-greased baking dish, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes and the meat is tender and juices run clear.
• Remove and discard toothpicks.
• Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with a bit of sour cream/guacamole and Mexican rice.

POLLO RELLENO - SOUTHWESTERN STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cover chicken with water and simmer until nearly tender.
• Drain.
• Combine remaining ingredients, moistening with stock if necessary.
• Stuff parboiled chicken and bake at 425F until tender and brown, basting with stock.