chipolte chicken

Scott and I tend to go there for special occasions – our anniversary, a birthday or the fact that the kids are at the grandparents’ house for a few days.

I order the same thing every time — Chipolte Steak. I love chipolte sauce. Love it! There was a cafeteria at my last job and twice a week the pasta area served Chipolte Pasta, and I ordered it every time.

It’s the one thing I truly miss about that place.

I have tried to duplicate the recipe and have come close a few times, but my versions tend to be too one flavor, not enough of another. Too much BBQ sauce taste. Too much garlic. Too much chipolte paste.

Then I came across a bottle of Taco Bell’s Chipolte Sauce at the grocery store. I don’t eat at Taco Bell, thanks to a certain video that was all over the news 6 years ago, but this made me happy, so I brought it home and tried a chipolte chicken recipe I found online a few months ago.

Success!

It had than spice I wanted, with a little kick but not so much that my husband couldn’t handle it. (He is not a fan of spicy food.)

And they say fast food is bad for you …

CHIPOLTE CHICKEN

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts cut in half
• Seasoned salt
• 4 ounces heavy cream
• 3 ounces chipolte sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 9 ounces penne pasta, cooked
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 diced rosa tomato
• 1 tablespoon diced onions

Drizzle olive oil on the chicken on all sides. Season the chicken and let marinade for 10 minutes. In a saute pan over high heat, add olive oil and the chicken. Cook the chicken until both sides are cooked thoroughly. Remove the chicken from the pan and slice them into 1/2 inch thick bites.

In the same pan, add onions, cream, chipolte sauce, salt and pepper over medium heat. When the cream starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and add the sliced chicken, cooked pasta and the cheese.

Serve in pasta bowl and garnish with diced tomatoes and more Parmesan cheese, if desired.