Mexican Chicken Parmesan

Having resided in Texas for a solid six years of my adult life, it should come as no surprise when I reiterate the absolute weakness I have for authentic Mexican flavors.  Cilantro, beans, cumin, you name it.  It doesn’t matter how you combine them, if they’re in the same dish all dancing together in perfect harmony, life is most certainly good. Or perhaps I should say bueno.

This dish was first born of a trip I made to the local farmers market to pick up a rack of pork ribs for the upcoming evening.  I snagged the ribs but couldn’t walk away without snatching up a packet of chorizo to go with it.  Never mind that I had absolutely no clue what to do with said chorizo nor did I come to the market with the intention of buying it.  It looked good, hunger called, so I bought it.  I also left with a bonus loaf of fresh bread and a couple heirloom tomato plants.  The farmers market just loves people like me.

Fast forward a couple weeks.  It’s 4:45pm and dinner is no longer calling to me, it’s yelling directly in my ear to get it on the table – soon.  I see the chorizo in the back of the freezer and the light bulb goes on.  I’ll make a chicken Parmesan inspired Mexican dish because, really… why not?  A little bit of this, a handful of that, bada bing, bada boom – dinner is served.

Ya seriously gotta love the light bulb.

To create a Mexican ole moment of your own, you first need to cook up a pound of fresh chorizo.

Toss in a few veggies, a handful or three of beans and let it heat up for a minute or two more.  Feel free to add in whatever Mexican inspired greens you have on hand; it’s all good when sausage is involved.

As if it wasn’t tasty enough already, let’s finish it off with a little tomato, salsa and chicken stock. Set that pan of goodness to simmer and let it warm up.

Now for the pollo.   That’s chicken to all you gringas out there.  Grab up your breasts, sprinkle with a heavy dose of wonderful and set them into a frying pan to cook up all golden brown and delicious.

Place the chorizo mixture into the bottom of an oven safe dish.

Drop your chicken on top and then sprinkle with a little (or a lot if you so desire) queso for good measure.  I also threw a pinch of oregano for added color.

Slide it into a heated oven and let it get all bubbly and fabulous.  Boil up a pot of spaghetti noodles and serve the chicken and chorizo over the top.

Que bueno!  It’s officially time to enjoy a lip smacking chorizo inspired dinner.

Mexican Chicken Parmesan

Total Time: 50 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Chorizo
3/4 Cup Corn
1 Zucchini, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1/2 Cup Salsa
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Pound Chicken Breasts
1 Tbsp Coriander, for sprinkling on chicken
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder, for sprinkling on chicken
1 Tbsp Cumin, for sprinkling on chicken
1 Tbsp Oregano, for sprinkling on chicken
Salt, sprinkle to taste
3 Oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Add chorizo to a large frying pan and cook up on medium heat.

Add in the corn, zucchini, garlic, and black beans. Cook for a minute or two more.

Add in the salsa, diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

In a separate pan, heat up the canola oil on medium high heat.

Sprinkle the breasts on both sides with the coriander, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.

Cook the breasts, flipping once, until the juices run clear.

Grab a casserole dish and ladle in the veggie/bean mixture.

Place the cooked breasts on top.

Spread the cheese over the top of the breasts. Sprinkle additional oregano for color if desired.

Place in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cook until cheese melts and dish is heated through.

Serve over cooked pasta.

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