This recipe for Chile Cheese Chicken Roll-up with Creamy Verde Sauce combines thinly pounded chicken breast, fill it with some roasted peppers and melty cheese, then brown it to crunchy goodness to make this simple, yet delicious, meal
2large poblano peppersroasted, peeled, seeded and cut in half lengthwise
4slicespepper jack cheesecut into half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ to ¾cupflour
1large eggbeaten
½ to ¾cuppanko bread crumbsyou could use just regular breadcrumbs, but I like the texture of the panko better, they are lighter - more fluffy
Oil for frying
17-ounce can Salsa Verde (such as Herdez)
½cupsour creamregular or low-fat, but not non-fat
1 - 2teaspoonsfresh lime juice
Cilantro leaves for garnishif desired
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breast in a large zip-top bag and using the smooth side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small frying pan, pound it out until it is fairly uniform in thickness. Season with salt and pepper; layer ¼ the peppers inside each breast, then top with the two halves of cheese, overlapping them as necessary to keep it all inside the breast. Rolling from the thin, shorter edge to the wider edge, roll the breast using your fingers to sort of fold in the edges (this will help keep the filling inside the breast, not allowing it to leak out into the frying pan). Secure the roll with a couple pieces of string, one on each end, or a toothpick in the middle holding the roll together. Don't use too much string because when you cut it off, the coating will come off with it, so just a quick tie about an inch from each end should secure it.
In one each of three shallow bowls, put the flour, the egg, and the panko. Carefully take one of the rolls, dredge in the flour, then dip in the eggs, then roll in the panko. Set aside on a wire rack while you complete the rest of the rolls.
Pour enough oil into an ovenproof skillet to cover the bottom by ¼ inch; when hot add the chicken, seam side down, and fry until brown and crispy, turn and cook the other side. Return the roll to seam side down, then place in the oven to finish cooking, about 10 - 15 minutes.
While the chicken cooks heat the salsa verde in a small pot until just simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream; taste and add lime juice to taste.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board. Slice into slices. Spoon sauce over the top, sprinkle with cilantro if desired, and serve.