Enchilada Chicken
By Catherine Newman
Makes: 3 servings
Total Carbohydrates: 4 grams per serving
Hands-on Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Do you look at a five-ingredient recipe and think, “YES!”? Because I do. And this one doesn’t disappoint. It is so, so easy and so, so good – and you don’t even have to stuff and roll any tortillas. A couple of notes: If you’re starting with a 19-ounce can of enchilada sauce, then you can freeze the rest of the can in two ¾-cup portions for the next couple of times you make this dish. And if you prefer dark meat, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs; just set the oven to 400 degrees and plan to keep them in there another 15 to 20 minutes to make sure the chicken is cooked through.
If you’re looking to:
Lower the salt: Use less salt.
Ingredients
-
1 pound chicken tenders
-
Salt and garlic powder
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
-
¾ cup enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
-
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
-
Season the chicken well on both sides with the salt and garlic powder.
-
Heat a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add the oil, then arrange the chicken in a single layer. Cook for two to three minutes per side, until golden brown (turn the heat to high if the chicken doesn’t seem to be browning in this time frame). The chicken will not be cooked through at this point, which is good because it will finish cooking in the oven without drying out.
-
Put the chicken in a small oven-proof dish, drizzle with the enchilada sauce, and top with the cheese.
-
Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browning, around 15 minutes.
Variation
To make the world’s easiest chicken parmesan, swap in marinara sauce for the enchilada sauce, and mozzarella for the Monterey Jack. Sprinkle with parmesan before baking if you’re otherwise going to feel weird about calling it chicken parmesan.
