Poblano Chicken with Verde Sauce Casserole

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Updated on March 31, 2014

Ok. Ok. Yesterday’s “What’s for Dinner Tonight?” post may not have appealed to everyone. I hear you. Organ meat, especially to people that have never experienced them, can be challenging in more than one way (if you can accomplish selecting and preparing it you still have to – gulp! – eat it). For everyone that can’t get past thinking that offal is just plain awful here is a quick and easy recipe that is sure to add a kick to conventional chicken recipes. And, while I realize it does contain a little cheese – which generally falls into the gray area of sensible vices – there is so little, that it won’t throw your Primal eating plan off its tracks.

Ingredients:
4 Poblano chilies
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup hard/semi-hard cheese, shredded (preferably something that melts well)

For sauce:
3 medium green tomatoes
2 fresh jalapeno chilies
1 large red tomato
1 medium onion, finely chopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
To make the sauce, place tomatoes and jalapenos in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat slightly and continue heating until the tomatoes and jalapenos turn light green (about 10–15 minutes). Remove from heat and drain well. Scoop mixture into a blender, then add onion, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Puree to desired consistency. Set aside.

In a shallow casserole dish, roast the Poblano chili under a broiler until black on all sides. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, peel off black skin and remove stems. Next, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chicken. Cook until lightly browned, then set aside. Add onions to skillet and brown. Add chicken, chicken stock and seasoning and boil until water is evaporated. Next, slice open Poblanos and lay them flat in a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with chicken mixture, verde sauce and cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling. Remove foil and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serves 6.

Nutrition Analysis:
Courtesy of FitDay.com, based on one serving.

Calories: 325 calories
Fat: 16 grams (44% calories from fat)
Carbs: 17.1 grams (20% calories from carbs)
Protein: 28.8 grams (36% calories from protein)

About the Author

Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.