Fajita Chicken Breast Casserole

 

Well, today is Cinco de Mayo. It's not a day I really celebrate but it is a great excuse to enjoy some Tex Mex flavors! I am not saying that this dish is authentically Mexican. It is probably a far cry from it, but I can promise you that it is healthy and quite delicious with a beautiful mix of textures and flavors.  

I adapted it from a recipe I found on Eatwell 101.  It looked really delicious, and I had everything I needed in the house to make it.  I did take the liberty to switching it out a bit and making it a much smaller size to serve only two people.

 

It is delicious and nutritiously low in fat and carbs. I left out the TBS of oil they called for as I did no think it was necessary and it wasn't. Packed with flavor you have tender and juicy pieces of chicken breast meat, sprinkled with some tasty fajita spices and sprinkled with plenty of fresh peppers and onions prior to baking.

They added the cheese at the very beginning. I chose to add it at the end so that it didn't get overcooked and dry. Instead, it came out deliciously ooey and gooey. Keto friendly and low-carb.  

I did enjoy it with a soft flour tortilla and a dollop of sour cream, which I felt justified in doing as I had saved on calories and carbs everywhere else!  This was really enjoyed! Quick, easy and deliciously healthy!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FAJITA CHICKEN BREAST CASSEROLE

It looks like a long list but most of what is needed are seasonings. Basically, you really only need chicken, some veggies and cheese aside from those!

• 2 medium chicken breasts
• 1/2 each red, green and yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp mind chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (can use smoked if you wish)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated Tex Mex blend cheese

 

My chicken breasts were only between 3 and 4 ounces each. Each making one serving.  Cutting them in half through the middle allows for them to cook quicker and also helps to prevent them from being overly tough.

You don't need to use all three colors of peppers; you can use only one or two. I used three because I wanted a nice variety of color in the dish

I used a white onion, but you could use red if you wanted to.

Make sure you use powders and not salts for the spices.  You will be seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper also so if you use garlic salt per se, it will make the dish too salty and there would not be enough garlic flavor. No garlic powder?  Just use minced fresh garlic, perhaps two cloves, peeled.

My Tex Mex blend of cheese was a blend of Cheddar, Jack and Queso Quesadilla. (Kraft) It was mild as I don't really enjoy things too spicy these days.  If you want you can use a spicier blend.  Its your choice!

 

HOW TO MAKE FAJITA CHICKEN BREAST CASSEROLE

I love quick and easy entrees like this. They make the perfect mid-week meal!  If you have hearty eaters you could cook some rice for them to enjoy on the side.  This Spanish Rice is very good.

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 7 by 10-inch casserole dish.

Stir the cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika together in a small bowl.

Slice your chicken breasts horizontally into two pieces, working down the length of them. Discard any sinew or fat. Season them all over with salt and pepper.

 

Sprinkle all but 1/2 tsp of the spice seasoning over the chicken breast, seasoning them on both sides. Place in a single layer in the baking dish.

Prepare your vegetables and scatter them evenly over top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture.

 

Roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken cooks through and the juices run clear. The internal temperature should read 165*F/74*C.

Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese evenly over top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese has melted.  Serve hot.

This was really simple and really delicious.  I loved the ease of preparation. The original recipe cut the peppers into strips. I preferred to cut them into coarse chunks. You could also add some chopped fresh tomatoes if you wanted to.

I enjoyed this with some warmed soft flour tortillas and some sour cream.  You could also sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander/cilantro on top and some chopped spring onions if you wished to do so.

 

With today being Cinco de May you may be on the lookout for more Mexican style dishes. I cannot promise you that these are authentic, but I can promise you that they are delicious and have some Tex Mex flair!

BEEF BARBACOA TACOS WITH SWEET PICKLED ONIONS- Something I came up with to use up leftover cooked roast beef. These are delicious to say the least! You can make the onions up the day before if you wish. They will keep for quite a while. If you don't have any leftover roast beef, you can use ground beef and just cook as per the recipe.

GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ENCHILADAS - I make the filling with plenty of chopped cooked chicken, grated cheese, some spices and seasonings and green enchilada sauce. Wrapped up in wheat or corn tortillas, placed into a casserole dish, slathered with more sauce and cheese and baked. Delicious served hot with sour cream and a splash of green tabasco.  You could also use pork instead of chicken if you wanted to. This is a small batch recipe that is very easily doubled to feed more. You can also use canned or rotisserie chicken if you wish.

Yield: Two servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Fajita Chicken Breast Casserole

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This delicious casserole is quickly put together and takes only half an hour to bake. It doesn't get much simpler than this. Lightly spiced chicken, chopped peppers and onions, cheese. Serve with some soft tortilla and sour cream if you wish.

Ingredients

• 2 medium chicken breasts
• 1/2 each red, green and yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp mind chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (can use smoked if you wish)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated Tex Mex blend cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 7 by 10-inch casserole dish.
2. Stir the cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika together in a small bowl.
3. Slice your chicken breasts horizontally into two pieces, working down the length of them. Discard any sinew or fat. Season them all over with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle all but 1/2 tsp of the spice seasoning over the chicken breast, seasoning them on both sides. Place in a single layer in the baking dish.
5. Prepare your vegetables and scatter them evenly over top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture.
6. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken cooks through and the juices run clear. The internal temperature should read 165*F/74*C
7. Remove from the oven and scatter the cheese evenly over top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese has melted.
8. Serve hot.

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