POULTRY ESSENTIALS: CHEESY TOMATO & CHICKEN BAKE

Poultry Essentials: Cheesy Tomato & Chicken Bake image

This is an easy/peasy recipe to assemble, and can be ready in 45 quick minutes, or less. The actual star of this show, is the sauce. It has amazing flavor, and perfectly complements the chicken and the cheese. If you are looking for a flavorful dinner that comes together in under an hour, you have come to the right recipe. So,...

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Categories Chicken

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
2 medium chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp sweet butter, unsalted
1/2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 clove garlic, minced
14 oz diced tomatoes, 1 can
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
2 Tbsp diced mild hatch chilies from a can
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 ground cumin
salt, kosher variety, to taste
white pepper, freshly ground, to taste
1/2 c dubliner cheese, grated, or cheese of your choice
1/4 c parmesan, grated

Steps:

1. PREP/PREPARE
2. Two of my favorite brands of tomatoes are Meir Glen, or Cento; however, another great (more common) brand is Hunts. My favorite brand of marinated artichoke hearts is Mezzetta, and they come packed in oil. Drain the oil before chopping. My favorite brand of diced green chilies, are Hatch. They come in small cans of 5 ounces (142g).
3. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
4. Chef's Tip: I recommend brining the chicken breasts for an hour or two, but that is totally up to you.
5. Chef's Note: You will notice that in the photos, I am placing the chicken breasts into individual serving dishes. If you wish, you can place both breasts into a single baking dish, or you could cook the whole thing in an ovenproof skillet. Now that is what I call easy/peasy.
6. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 400f (205c).
7. Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium heat.
8. When the foaming subsides, add the onions.
9. Cook until the onions soften, and turn translucent, about 4 - 5 minutes.
10. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
11. Reduce the heat to medium low, then add the tomatoes, artichokes, chilies, oregano, basil, parsley, and cumin, and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.
12. Allow to simmer until it reduces a bit, and beings to thicken, about 8 - 10 minutes.
13. Chef's Note: Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
14. Place the tomato sauce into individual, oven-proof baking dishes, or a single dish. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and push them into the tomato sauce.
15. Place into the preheated oven, and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 165f (75c), about 30 - 35 minutes
16. Add the Dubliner cheese to the top, and pop under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly, and beginning to brown in spots, about 2 - 3 minutes.
17. PLATE/PRESENT
18. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and serve while nice and warm. With maybe a small side salad, and some crusty bread. Enjoy.
19. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.