142.6…Spicy Mexican Chicken Pasta

I made the best pasta dish ever last night. I couldn’t get over how good it turned out. A big thank you to a blog reader, Lynn, who emailed it to me! It’s a keeper!

Spicy Mexican Chicken Pasta (Serves 4)

Recipe from Bake Your Day

Ingredients:

16 ounces fusilli pasta (or your choice of short-grain pasta)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped (greens & whites) + more for garnish
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + more for garnish
1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
1 cup mini mixed sweet peppers (about 8), sliced into strips
4 ounce can chopped green chiles
12 ounces grape tomatoes, quartered
16 ounce jar mild salsa verde (or homemade)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese + more for garnish
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, according to directions.

In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper until combined. Place the cubed chicken in a glass bowl and sprinkle the spice mixture over the top. Stir well to coat the chicken.
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping each piece once, halfway through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside - some pieces won’t be fully cooked – they will finish cooking later.

In the same pan, add the yellow onion, garlic and green onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the cilantro, jalapeno and sweet peppers and cook for another 4 minutes or so, until the peppers begin to soften. Add the green chiles, tomatoes and salsa and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the mixture is heated through. Add the chicken back to the mixture, stir. Stir in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Allow the mixture to cook for 7-8 minutes until heated through; the chicken should be cooked through and the mixture should thicken slightly.

Serve over the cooked noodles and garnish with additional cheddar cheese, green onions and cilantro.

Printable Recipe

I’m not going to lie….prep for this recipe took awhile. There was a lot of chopping and prepping involved. As I was doing all that work, I was thinking, “this better be worth it.” It was.

My meal was complete with a salad with veggies and ranch dressing.

My breakfast today was another toasted English muffin with peanut butter and a grapefruit.

I took the kids to school, went to a meeting then ran errands. I met Lisa for lunch at Leucadia pizza. I ordered a Greek Salad with Shrimp. It was Delicious!

I’m off to pick up the kids and go to my daughter’s soccer practice. Then home to make dinner. Whew…..

What was the last recipe you made that blew your socks off?

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