As I sit here at the airport waiting on my first flight ALONE since having a baby, I am feeling quite emotional and reflective on the past 8ish months. I cannot believe time has flown by so quickly. And yet, it feels like years since I have sat at the bar of an airport without thinking about the next bottle, a diaper change, or entertaining the little dude. Well know that I think about it, I am still thinking about it HA, but there is nothing I can do about it. Luckily for me I have a partner who is very confident with our son and I have no doubt will thrive the next 3 days without me. My only hope is that Koa sleeps through the night. There is nothing harder to overcome than the sleepless nights. Everything else is handle-able. But day 3 of middle of the night wake ups and we are a shell of ourselves. 

Anyway, enough baby talk. This recipe feels fitting as I make my way to Sante Fe – land of green chilis, pozole,, queso, margaritas, and all the beans my hearts desires. It’s my soul city for food. Now if only they could figure out how to make sopapillas gluten free!! 

I am beyond happy to report that our local grocery stores are now consistently carrying poblano peppers so as you may have noticed, I use them in a lot of recipes! I think they have better flavor than bell peppers, but of course, you can sub with green bell peppers if needed. 

I make this dish a lot when I have run out of ideas for the week. Mostly because it is so simple to throw together. It’s one dish, you bake it all at once, and the ingredients are simple. The most lavish part is of course, the hasselbeck style chicken breast with boursin inside. But can you blame me? How amazing does that sound! What I like about it is the spreadable cheese melts, keeping the chicken fairly juicy and tender. And the cheese mellows out the peppers and salsa bringing the kick. 

Sometimes I serve the dish as is to keep it light. But if you are hungrier or want to have leftovers/add a carb, I also serve it with rice. I served it with rice this last time and Nick loved how the rice soaked up the extra salsa. 

Now while I go indulge in christmas-style enchiladas and a marg, please give this one a try! I’ll report back how the first solo trip went next week… do I admit that I am most excited to simply sleep?

INGREDIENTS

Serving Size: 4

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F. 
• Clean chicken breast then using a sharp knife make 5-6 slits on the back of the chicken about ¾ of the way through the chicken (careful not to slice all the way through). *Think Hasselbeck potato style. 
• Rub the chicken with seasonings until coated thoroughly.
• Using a butter or cheese knife, gently spread a thin layer of boursin in the slits on the back of the chicken breast then set aside
• Slice poblano peppers and onion into thin strips. 
• Place the chicken in a large cast iron skillet then add the poblano and onion around it. 
• Pour a jar of salsa verde and green chilis over the entire thing. 
• Sprinkle mozzarella on top.
• Bake for 25 minutes. 
• Serve with fresh lime, cilantro, green onions and/or rice. Enjoy!