Salsa Verde Chicken

From Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

·       1 1/4 to 1 1/3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

·       1 3/4 cups (1 15-ounce jar) tomatillo salsa verde

·       4 ounces grated Monterey jack and/or pepper jack cheese

·       1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the tenders from the chicken breasts and cut the larger pieces in half. You should have 4 4-ounce chicken portions plus the tenders. Line a 8x8 casserole baking dish with the chicken pieces. Try to cover the bottom as completely as you can with the chicken.

2 Cover the chicken pieces with the salsa verde. Cover completely, there should be no exposed chicken or it will dry out. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, use it. The chicken should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 150°F.

3 Sprinkle cheese over the chicken, increase the oven heat to 400°F and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, enough time for the cheese to melt and the sauce to get bubbly.

Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Spoon over cooked rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips for crunch if you would like.

Notes from Jill's Kitchen: This is one the most tried and true recipes that I make. Probably primarily because it is perhaps the simplest recipe that I make. Someday I really should graduate to making my own salsa verde for this, but in the meantime I will simply continue to open jar, pour, put in oven. It's just that easy!