Heather says:
Way back, a hundred years ago, I used to work for a Spanish restaurant. Yes, Spanish as in Spain. One of our top selling lunch dishes was very simple and not exactly Spanish, it was a variation on fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and sweet peppers. My husband requested this dish so often that I eventually quit making it and it has been two years since we had it last. Just call me the queen of over-explanation and add this to your dinner rotation. When preparing this meal for picky children, I add the peppers after I portion out some Alfredo sauce for the kids.
Chicken Picante Recipe
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb cooked fettuccine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Cajun spice mix
- 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP flour – divided
- 4 TBSP butter
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 3 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 cup sweet cherry pepper, seeded and cut in half
- 1/2 cup banana pepper rings
- salt / pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Preheat the oven to 200F. I use this to keep the chicken breasts hot while I prepare the sauce.
Pound the chicken breasts into submission flat. Cut the breasts in half.
Lately 1lb packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts contain three or four pieces, I use half per serving.
Please disinfect the area properly, you do not want to cross contaminate your work area.
Stir together the Cajun seasoning and 1/2 cup flour. If you enjoy very spicy foods, reduce the amount of flour used.
Dredge the chicken in the flour and cook over medium low, until done, turning once.
While the chicken is cooking slice and seed the cherry peppers.
When the chicken is done, drain it on a paper towel and hold it in the oven while you prepare the sauce.
Heat the 4 TBSP butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the peppers. (If you are cooking for kids, skip this step for now.) Slowly add the half and half. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and 2 TBSP of flour stirring slowly but continuously. Reduce the heat to low. (Portion out the kids’ servings when the cheese has melted, just before adding the peppers). Remove from the heat when the cheese has fully melted.
Place a portion of cooked fettuccine on a plate, give it a slight twist to mound it in the center. Place a piece of chicken on the pasta and pour the sauce over both.
Enjoy.
Oh, that looks divine. It’s definitely going on my menu plan next week.
looks yummy. will have to add this to our next menu!
wow that looks good – even I will try that this weekend! I LOVE it when you take the how-to shots, that helps me the most. thank you!!
This sounds wonderful. I’ve never heard of sweet cherry pepper, can you tell me more about it.
Thanks!
This looks DELISH! A must try in my book!
Sherry
Yum!
I’ve never quite gotten the hang of pounding chicken, but I’ll have to try again for this dish.
This looks great! I’ll definitely give this a shot.
Laura, sweet cherry peppers are near the olives in most grocery stores. They have a little bite, but are by no means hot. We usually use hot banana peppers to kick it up a little.
Warillever, just put a towel under your cutting board and whack the snot out of it. There is no real magic about it, the force just beats up the muscle fibers making it much more tender. You really can’t screw it up.
I hope the rest of y’all enjoy it. I can’t believe I let it fall completely out of the rotation for so long.
This sounds soooo yummy. We don’t eat chicken much unless it’s in casserole form. I might try mushrooms instead of the peppers. I can’t get into that many peppers, even if they aren’t hot:)
Blessings,
Trixie
I’m definitely trying this recipe! It sounds like something my husband would really like. And I love the tip about adding the peppers after you’ve portioned out for the kids. Those little one can be so picky, huh?
What is cajun spice mix?
@Canadian Probably the best known is Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. It comes in a green cardboard cylinder and can be found in the spice section. If you can’t find it, try a google search for “cajun seasoning mix” and you can mix up a reasonable facsimile at home. Red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, salt… you get the idea.