Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

My son and I had a busy day with a bunch of our friends at the zoo. We did not get home until late afternoon, and I was not sure what to do about dinner. I did not thaw any protein items this morning, so I when I go home I grabbed the first thing I saw in my freezer, which was three chicken breasts. I remembered that we loved this dish when we first tried it out back in October, and as the title promises...it's really quick and easy. So, I did a little fast thawing and decided to serve this dish with some fast-cooking yellow rice and microwaved steamed peas. My chicken is in the oven right now, and it smells delicious. I will update how it turned out with a photo (along with last nights post, too) this evening!

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground cumin

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Heat a greased skillet to medium. Rub chicken pieces with garlic, salt, pepper and cumin to taste and add to hot skillet. Cook until brown on both sides and no longer pink (10 to 15 minutes).
3. Transfer meat to 9 x 13 inch baking dish or casserole dish, top with salsa and cheese and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes (until cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.) Serve over rice or buttered noodles.


Jen's Notes:
I may add some additional garlic and spices, because that's just how I roll.





The Result:
This was really yummy. Very easy and tasty! My side dish choices were very colorful, don't ya think??? This meal was so satisfying and the choice of sides complimented it nicely. Instead of cooking the chicken in a skillet and then transferring it to a casserole dish, I just used my Le Creuset buffet casserole pan. This pan is easily my favorite piece of kitchen equipment, hands down. I literally use it almost every night, and it transfers from stove top to oven perfectly. The best part is that there is only one pan to clean!!! I heart Le Creuset!!!!