Jalapeno Popper Chicken

This is one of John’s favorite skinny meals – of course because he is a jalapeno fiend. But even if you aren’t, like my grandmother, Awa, you will still enjoy this dish! Awa doesn’t especially like to cook for one person every night and Mom frequently packs “take-home” containers for her (and let’s be honest, all of us) on Sundays.When we made this, Awa carried on about how she had never had a jalapeno, so John and I made her a take-home container of our own! Two days later, I got a text at my desk that said “that was delicious, whatever you call that chicken thing”. I laughed aloud. Literally.

It’s nice when you can make something as easy as this and everyone loves it – even if you aren’t a spice lover, I bet your family will devour this! We could probably eat this almost once a week because it is always flavorful, easy, and overall pretty healthy!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Serves: 4
2 jalapenos, deseeded and diced
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon scallions, sliced
2 chicken breasts, sliced in two thin cutlets
1 lime
1/2 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine jalapenos, Neufchatel cheese, cheddar, salt, pepper, and scallions. Divide the mixture evenly and spread over each chicken breast. Roll up the chicken breasts and use toothpicks to secure. Put the breasts into a casserole dish. Juice the lime over the top of the breasts and then top evenly with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Until the next time my oven is on…