Poblano And Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Ancho Chile Cream Sauce Recipes

CREAMY POBLANO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Slice one poblano pepper into thin strips.
• Roast the other pepper: If you have a gas stove, turn the burner on and keep the pepper over the flame until it chars - you want it black on all sides. If you don't have a gas stove, turn your broiler on and roast the pepper on the top rack until it is blackened on all sides. Once the pepper is roasted, transfer to a large plastic baggie or a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let steam while you sear the chicken. Once they've sat for about 10 minutes, pull them out and peel the skin off. Take out the membranes and seeds as well.
• While the peppers steam: Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. Add two tablespoons butter or olive oil. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepepr. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Sear until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and do the same on the other side. Sear until cooked through, another 3-4 minutes. Take the chicken out and set aside. Don't worry if the chicken is not cooked through, it will simmer in the sauce later to finish cooking.
• Once the chicken is seared, remove from the pan, and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan. Add the onions and sliced peppers (the sliced peppers you did not roast and steam). Saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Season with a little salt . Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• While the veggies cook, transfer the ROASTED poblano pepper to a blender along with cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Pour the pureed pepper mixture back into the skillet with the sliced peppers, onions, and garlic. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock, cream, lime juice, honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the chcken breasts back to the skillet with the sauce, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. It should read 165 degrees on an instant read thermomter. If needed, add a little bit more chicken stock to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice pilaf, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

PEPPER JACK STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut cheese into two 2-1/4x1x3/4-in. strips. Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. Place a strip of cheese down the center of each chicken breast half; fold chicken over cheese and secure with toothpicks. Rub Mexican seasoning over chicken., In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Discard toothpicks.

STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

Steps:

• Turn a gas stove burner to high. Hold poblano peppers directly on the flame with a pair of tongs and turn until skins are charred. Let peppers cool. Leaving peppers as close to whole as possible, remove skins, seeds, membranes, and stems.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in chili pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place peppers in a nonstick casserole dish. Insert a slice of Cheddar cheese and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese into each pepper. Spoon some ground beef mixture into each pepper. Place the remaining beef on top of the peppers, and cover with enchilada sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese on top of the peppers. Bake until peppers are bubbly and fragrant, another 45 minutes.

CHICKEN WITH POBLANO PEPPERS AND CREAM

Steps:

• Peppers: Roast the poblano peppers until all sides are blackened. If you have a gas stove, place them right on the burner over medium-low heat, turning and re-positioning until the are blistered and black on all sides. If not, place directly under a broiler or on a grill. Put into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so they can steam for 5-10 minutes before peeling. Cut and proceed with the recipe or refrigerate until needed.
• Chicken: Let the chicken come to temperature on the counter for about 20 minutes. Place a stainless steal or non-stick skillet and 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium high heat (NOT A CAST IRON SKILLET.) Blot the chicken dry, massage with the remaining teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. When pan is hot, cook the chicken 4-6 minutes per side or until an instant read thermometer registers 160. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
• Sauce: Turn the heat down to medium and saute the onions and garlic for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine. Place the pan back over the heat and cook until most of the wine has evaporated, scraping up any browned bits left from the chicken. Add the cream, poblano peppers and cumin. Cook until the cream has thickened to your liking keeping in mind that it will become even thicker as it cools. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Serve over the chicken.
• Variation: If you'd like, add the cooked onion and garlic, poblano peppers and cream to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, add the cumin and cook until thickened. If it becomes too thick, add a little chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH POBLANO CHILE STRIPS AND CREAM

Steps:

• Lay chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners, then turn flames on moderately high. Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered, 4 to 6 minutes. (Or broil chiles on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat, turning them, 8 to 10 minutes.) Transfer chiles immediately to a large sealable plastic bag and seal. Let steam 10 minutes, then peel or rub off skins and discard stems, seeds, and ribs. Rinse chiles and pat dry, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken, skin or skinned sides down, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and sauté 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to moderately low, then pour off excess fat and cook chicken, covered, until just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While chicken is cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, then cook onion, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chiles and salt to taste and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add crème fraîche and cook, stirring, until just heated through (if using sour cream, do not let boil). Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle chicken with any pan juices and serve with sauce.

POBLANO AND PEPPER JACK-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ANCHO CHILE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the poblano and pepper jack-stuffed chicken breasts: Roast the poblano peppers over an open flame until completely charred, transfer to a plastic bag and seal for 10 minutes. Peel the charred skin, remove all the seeds and cut each pepper in half.
• Meanwhile, put chicken breasts on a cutting board and pound with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, heat, then add the chicken and cook until the first side is golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden-brown, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the ancho chile cream sauce: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until reduced by 1/3. Add the Cajun spice and ancho chile powder and simmer for another minute or so. Keep warm.
• When the chicken is done, cut each piece into 2 equal halves. Lay one piece in the centers of 2 dinner plates and top each with 2 poblano halves, 1 piece of pepper jack, and another piece of chicken. Pour half of the Ancho Chile Cream Sauce over the tops and serve immediately.