Monday, March 9, 2009

Easy, Tasty Chicken Thing

I made this baked chicken dish tonight for supper. I was in the mood for something different, but there are only so many different ways to prepare chicken thighs. Bonus for you, Dear Reader: I timed this one instead of relying on my super-cool electronic thermometer. No pictures this time, though. I was too hungry by the time it came out of the oven...

1 can Veg-All, drained well
1 can diced tomatoes, partially drained (drain the excess, but don't squeeze it down)
3 or 4 chicken thighs (Obviously, any chicken will do. I like thighs, though, because they're flavorful and CHEAP.)
To taste:
salt
pepper
cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
cilantro

Preheat the oven to 375. Dump the cans into a casserole dish and season. Then top the veggie mixture with the chicken thighs, and season them. Bake covered for 45 minutes, uncovered for 10 more. Shred the chicken into the vegetables and re-season as necessary. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream.

I didn't use it, because I didn't have any, but a couple of handfuls of grated cheese thrown in just after you shred the chicken would probably be delicious.

Serves two dinner portions, plus about a half-cup.
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This would be better, I'm sure, with fresh vegetables and such, but sometimes cheap and easy is the way to go. For a fast, easy one-dish dinner, it was great.

I stirred the leftovers into some shredded lettuce for lunch. If I did it again, I'd keep the chicken stuff and the lettuce separate until just before I ate it. It was still good, but the lettuce sogged down a little and the flavors seemed a bit muddled. Keeping them in two separate containers until you were ready to eat would avoid this. It would probably be even better if you re-warmed the chicken mixture before adding it to the lettuce.

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