I almost didn't share this recipe with you, and now that I am, I feel bad that I only took two pictures. You see, almost immediately after starting this chicken, I was 100% certain it was going to be a disaster.
To my utter surprise, it ended up not being half bad. If you try it, you'll just have to be patient. Because when you blend cream cheese, chicken stock, and pomegranate seeds as your sauce base, you get some PINK sauce. Like, Pepto Bismol pink. Not at all appetizing. But somehow after it was added back in with the pan seared chicken, it all balanced out and turned into a really interesting combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy.
Without further ado, here's what you'll need:
- 3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
- 6 ounces of cream cheese (we used fat free, but I may try regular next time)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds, divided
- 3 pounds of chicken (we used breasts, but you could easily use thighs, legs or a combo)
- 4 poblano peppers, roasted and skins peeled, cut into strips
- 4 slices smoked sliced ham, chopped
And here's what you'll need to do:
- Blend the broth, cream cheese and 1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds until smooth, then strain.
- Cook the chicken in a large skillet on medium heat for 10 minutes until browned on both sides, turning occasionally. Add the chiles and ham, cook two minutes more.
- Stir in the sauce (ignore the fact that it's pink) and cover. Cook on medium low for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Top with remaining pomegranate seeds just before serving.
At the end of the day, this was a pretty easy recipe that I'll probably make again, only with a few changes. Because it was a Kraft recipe card that I found in the grocery store, they suggested the Oscar Mayer smoked ham, but I think this would be a lot better with either pancetta or bacon so the fat can really render out and it can get nice and crispy. Between ham and the roasted peppers, it was lacking the crunch that I was looking for. I think I'll also add the peppers in later next time so they retain more of their smoky flavor instead of melding in with the sauce.
But for a quick, moderately healthy dinner, this worked!
Have you tried any recipes that had you nervous? Did the end result change your mind?
Labels: Food, From the Recipe Box
