Chicken Doesn't Have To Be Boring

We don't really eat a lot of red meat in our house, so I'm always trying to come up with a new way to make chicken breast. I know that the boneless, skinless chicken breast can be a boring cut of meat. Let's face it, most of the time it's dry and bland. There's no skin to give it that nice fatty flavor. A lot of times it's difficult to infuse flavor into the breast. Well I came up with a great way to make a delicious, lower fat way to make a yummy boneless, skinless chicken breast. I turned to my southwestern flavors to make a dish that was actually inspired by Chicken Parmesean. I call mine Chicken Monterey. I replace the breadcrumbs with southwestern seasoned crushed tortilla chips, the tomato sauce with salsa and the mozzarella cheese with Monterey Jack. It was tasty and fun twist on chicken breast. So easy to make, affordable and and a great dish to serve to your family. I served mine with a soutwestern style rice (see empanada recipe) and voila, quick, delicious family meal.

Chicken Monterey (the recipe serves 2 adults and 1 child)

2 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper
olive oil
egg & a little milk or buttermilk (whichever you have on hand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg with a little milk or buttermilk. In a separate bowl, take the crushed tortilla chips, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder & cumin, and the salt and pepper and mix. Next, pound the chicken breast so they aren't too thick. Sprinkle with remaining spice mixture, dredge into the egg mixture, then dredge through the tortilla mixture. While you're working on the chicken, have a medium sized skillet warming up with a little bit of olive oil. Take the coated chicken and add to the skillet. Cook on both sides for about 4-5 minutes per side. Now place the browned chicken breasts onto a cookie sheet and top with the salsa and the cheese. Place in the oven and cook for about 10 more minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice or spanish style rice.