Jalapeño Popper Chicken |Cooking With Amanda

Well look what we have here. Crunchety-crispy-cheesy covered chicken that has been baked to golden brown perfection, and STUFFED with MORE ooey-gooey melted cheese and a few little pops of spicy jalapeño pepper.

As delicious as that sounds, that's kindasorta a mouthful of a title, so let's just call it what it is: your dinner tonight.

Unless you don't like things that taste good. Then maybe you shouldn't have it for dinner tonight. But then you should also question everything you know about life AND I'm questioning our friendship. You know, just keepin' it realz.

But, like, easy dinners. The kind that you can make when you get home from work after a LONG tough day, and they take not very many minutes to whip up AT ALL, PLUS you can even prepare the quinoa in ADVANCE. You like those kind of meals. And I know that you REALLLLY like them when you walk in the door and your need-food-now-self, well, wants food RIGHT. NOW.

This is that kind of meal. It's also the kind that has cheese. Cheese covered AND stuffed crusted quinoa chicken breasts. Two kind of cheese. In one meal. HOW CAN THAT EVER GO WRONG FER YER MOUF?

Exactly. It just can't. So it's also one of those super-safe-everyone's-gonna-love-it-and-be-like-please-make-this-tomorrow-too-okay-cool meals. No frills, no hoity toity pan roasted chicken thighs, just good home-cooked stuffed chicken EXPLODING with spicy, Mexican YUM.

Can you believe that I only tried the magical food that is called Jalapeño Poppers for the first time in ALL the evers that I have been existing, a few years back. It was on a trip to Mexico (SHOCKER) and my world? I consider it compl-EAT-ly ROCKED by this totally unassuming little vegetable. Side note: Why can't all vegetables be stuffed with cream cheese and coated in crispy goodness. Who wants roasted broccoli and cauliflower when that is the alternative youfeelme?

Anyway. Tender chicken that does not enter the death lands of dry-food-badness due to it being shielded from its BFF quinoa. EXTRA-juicy and crispy chicken that tastes JUUUUST like your most favorite little Mexican bite. HELLO.

Do you wanna hear a funny story? Originally I decided to be all "how-can-I-make-this-even-healthier?" and I tried coating the chicken in CAULIFLOWER RICE.

Some things are just so much better in my head. I learned that you most definitely CAN make things "TOO healthy."

Don't try it. And FOR SURE don't try mixing your cauliflower rice WITH the jalapeño peppers in the food processor. Unless you want your husband to ask why you made "Hulk Chicken" for dinner.

If I could insert the crying emoji here I WOULD.

On that note I leave you with this:

Cheese. Mexican. Yum.

OK. GO. NAOW.

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Jalapeño Popper Chicken Recipe

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Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/4 cup reduced fat mexican cheese blend, shredded and divided
salt and pepper
1/4 cup quinoa flour
2 large egg whites
1 pound chicken breast, about 4 small breasts
2 jalapeños, halved with seeds removed**
1/4 cup low fat cream cheese
fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Once boiling, add in the quinoa, cover and turn the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place 1/4 cup of the cheese into a small bowl and set aside for later.
Add the remaining cheese into a medium bowl, and then add in the cooled quinoa. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread onto a large plate with sides.
Spread the quinoa flour onto a separate plate and place the egg whites in a large bowl.
Cut deep pockets into the side of each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then, pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Using one hand, dredge a breast in the quinoa flour until well coated. Dip the coated chicken in the egg whites, shaking off any excess. Finally, place the chicken in the quinoa and use your dry hand to press it on in a thin layer. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining breasts.
Place one tablespoon of cream cheese inside each jalapeño half, and spread out evenly. Gently stuff a half a jalapeño in the pocket of each chicken breast, cheese side up.
Bake the chicken until the quinoa is crunchy and lightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Then, sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake a few more minutes until it melts.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and DEVOUR.