Mexican Skillet Chicken and Rice

Nothing beats a one-pan meal, right? I enjoy the cooking, not so much the washing all the dishes afterward. I thought this recipe was sort of a good twist on a  Mexican dish, something we had not done before. It turned out tasty, quick and easy. I chopped all of the peppers and onion in the food processor to make it go more quickly also. By the way, I made homemade salsa this same night and learned a hard lesson about wearing gloves to handle jalapenos. I got some serious jalapeno skin burn (didn't even know that was possible!) and found out MILK will take the burn away, just in case you ever need to know! Anyway, this recipe is a good weeknight meal. I served ours with some crispy tortillas on the side!

Photo courtesy My Kitchen Cafe

What You Need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (10 oz.) cans green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro {optional}

Directions:
Gently pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Brown the chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes until it is golden but not cooked all the way through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the hot skillet, add the onion and poblano peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Add the enchilada sauce, rice and water, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and set the chicken breasts in the simmering rice mixture, nestling them in a bit. Cover the skillet, set the heat to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, stirring every five minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom.

Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!