Southwestern Sour Cream Chicken

In an effort to use up ingredients in my fridge, I kinda threw this recipe together and was surprised by how well it turned out.  It’s a little like chicken fingers but without all the dredging…and with a Southwestern vibe.

First, line a coated baking dish with boneless skinless chicken breasts.  If you use cutlets or chicken tenders (like I did), it will take less time to cook.  Cover the chicken with a layer of sour cream.  Top the sour cream with a layer of panko bread crumbs that you’ve mixed with some sort of Southwestern spice mix (taco seasoning is great, as is Trader Joe’s chili lime salt).  Drizzle just a little melted butter on the top (this will help it brown) and finally sprinkle with some shredded cheese (Mexican blend or pepper jack).  Note: the early steps in this process aren’t gorgeous to look at, but it’ll look and taste good in the end.  Promise.

 

Pop into a 400 oven and cook for about 25 minutes (longer if you’re using thicker chicken breasts).  Before (left) and after (right) pics below:

 

This totally works with low fat sour cream as well – the point is just to keep the chicken tender and create a sort of sauce – doesn’t have to be full fat to do that.  Also, don’t try to be fancy here.  If you use that thinly shredded Mexican blend cheese it forms almost a frico layer on top.  So good.

If you had Taco Tuesday earlier in the week, this is a great way to polish off those ingredients without feeling like you’re eating leftovers.  And so few ingredients are needed – what a dream of a weeknight recipe.  Can I get an amen?!