Southwestern Chicken Dinner

Southwestern Chicken Dinner with Corn Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients

Cornbread

1 7.5-oz package of corn muffin mix (Martha White is one brand)
1/2 cup milk

Corn Pudding

One batch of cornbread (9X9-inch pan size or pre-made from the store will work fine too)
1 cup canned corn, rinsed and drained
4 slices hot pepper cheese or 1 cup block pepper cheese (diced either way)
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 mild chili minced (no seeds; use Anaheim, banana or some other mild chili)
3 green onions diced (light green parts included)
1 cup buttermilk (1% is fine)
1/2 cup red enchilada sauce
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt

Chicken

4 chicken breasts, split, bone in
Southwestern meat rub or a barbecue rub
1-1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (I use medium hot; you choose your level of taste.)
6 green onions chopped (light green parts included)
1 mild chili sliced into small rings (no seeds; you choose your chili)
2 six-inch zucchinis, chopped into one-inch cubes

Cornbread Instructions

To make the corn bread, pull out your 9X9-inch ovenproof pan. Spray with baking spray or grease and flour it. You can put the cornbread mix directly in the pan (Why wash a bowl?). Add the one-half cup of milk the directions call for, and gently stir the mixture until all crumbs are fully incorporated. Just make sure all of the dry bits are mixed in. (If you found a mix that requires an egg or oil, just follow the directions on the box to make the cornbread.) This all can be done a day ahead or right when you want to make the dish. When the mix is fully stirred in, bake the corn bread at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Flip out of the pan and let cool to the touch.

Corn Pudding Instructions

To make the corn pudding, you can use the same ovenproof pan. You don't even have to wash it after you take out the cornbread. Just spray it again so it's ready to go. Dice your cheese, chop your red bell pepper, mince your chili and chop your green onions. Mix them all up on your cutting board with the drained corn. When the corn bread is cool enough to cut, use a bread knife and cut it into one-inch cubes. Put those in your ovenproof pan first. Then sprinkle in all of the chopped ingredients.

In a separate small bowl, mix the buttermilk, one-half cup of enchilada sauce and the two eggs and salt with a whisk until it's fully combined. Pour this over the cornbread. Now take a fork and get the cornbread, the chopped veggies and the sauce all mixed up. You want to make sure all of your corn bread gets wet.

Put this in your refrigerator to soak. Some folks think you have to do this for hours. I only give it about 20 minutes before I'm too impatient and I want to make dinner, so I go ahead. If you want, you can even leave it overnight. If you leave it overnight, cover it with plastic wrap.

While this is soaking in the refrigerator, you'll get your chicken ready to go.

Chicken Instructions

Clean and dry the breasts. Spray a 9 X 13-inch ovenproof pan with butter spray or grease it. Spray liberally with the butter spray. Sprinkle the meat with your dry rub. The amount you use is up to you. I put enough on to cover the meat but you can use less if you want less spice.

Drizzle the meat with enchilada sauce and pour the rest into the bottom of the pan around the chicken. Don't drown the chicken in the sauce because you'll wash off the rub and you want your chicken partially exposed so it gets browned in places.

Scatter the green onions and the sliced chilies on the top of the chicken. DO NOT put the zucchini in yet. Save that for later.

Putting It All Together

Put the chicken and the corn pudding in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. At the 40-minute point, open the oven and scatter the zucchini around the chicken so it has time to roast along with the chicken and it will soak up some of the juices. Close the oven and let the one-hour time finish up.

At the one-hour point, take out the corn pudding to "rest" on the counter for 10 minutes. You can leave the chicken in the oven.

When ready to serve, put the chicken next to a heaping spoonful of corn pudding and a scattering of the veggies in the bottom of the pan around the whole thing. Once you have all the dishes plated, you can drizzle any "gravy" that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan on top of and around the meal. I guarantee the whole meal with have a Southwestern look, smell and surely a zippy taste. The chips and salsa on the side are optional.