Sarah's Southwest Stuffed Chicken

A few weeks ago while wondering the isles at Trader Joe's I stumbled upon Trader Joe's Southwest Stuffed Chicken.  It looked amazing and I knew this was going to be a winner on a busy night.  And it was...after devouring the Chicken Breast stuffed with a pepper and cheese and topped with enchilada sauce, chips, olives, and more cheese, I thought to myself, I want to try to make this on my own.  Yes, I took something that was quick and easy and made it hard, but I love to cook, so I would say I made it fun!

This was going to be our next dish for our weekly dinners.  I hate being stressed out with company over, so I did all the prep the night before.  The chicken was almost ready to be put in the oven, I just had to add the final toppings.


Sarah's Southwest Stuffed Chicken 
Inspired by Trader Joe's Southwest Stuffed Chicken
Servings - 9 Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
9 chicken breast
9 whole green chiles (canned)
8 oz. Pepper Jack cheese
4 oz. cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sliced olives
enchilada sauce (large container, you may not use all)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1. Mix shredded pepper jack cheese, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, garlic, cumin in a bowl.
 

2. Slice the chicken breast in half.

3. Drain, dry, open and lay the chile peppers flat.  Too much liquid will make it hard to work with.

4. Stuff the chicken.  Open the breast, place a flat pepper inside, add a spoonful of the cheese mixture, and then secure the breast closed with tooth picks.

5. Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.  Refrigerate.

6. An hour before dinner: Set the oven to 350 degrees and remove the chicken from the refrigerator.

7. Crush the chips into small pieces, drain the olives and top the chicken.  Spoon some additional enchilada sauce on top.  Place into the oven.

8. Place into the oven and cook for about 45-55 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and serve.

 We served our chicken with some Spanish rice and jalapeno cornbread. Delicious!!!  I have to say, I think my version is a bit healthier, but takes much more planning. So the choice is yours, make it or buy it. Enjoy!

Sarah