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Chile Chicken and Bubbling Cheese

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 poblano chiles
  • 2 medium ripe tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella (1 1/2 cups grated)
  • 1 lime
  • Several sprigs fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips or warm flour or corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Put 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the chicken to the skillet while it heats. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Trim, peel, and chop the onion; add it to the skillet.
  4. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken browns in places and the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
  5. Peel and chop 3 cloves garlic; add to the skillet and stir.
    Trim, core, seed, and slice the poblanos.
    Core and chop the tomatoes.
  6. When the chicken and onions are ready, spoon off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Add the chiles and tomatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons ground cumin and a little more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are soft and the tomatoes release some juice, 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. Grate 1 1/2 cups Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese.
  8. Taste the chile-chicken mixture and adjust the seasoning. Scatter the cheese on top and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes.
  9. Quarter the lime.
    Chop several cilantro sprigs.
  10. Remove the skillet from the oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve with chips or tortillas and lime wedges.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast