Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I just ran across a recipe for Chicken Mole Casserole on the Food & Wine website.  And I do mean I “just” found it.  It sounded great; I liked the idea of it.  It just seemed like the perfect thing for dinner, so I made it, or rather my version of it. And it was on the table in 20 minutes!  What a great weeknight or Friday-night-after-work-instead-of-pizza dinner!  Chicken Mole Skillet DinnerThis is a perfect skillet dinner.  A cast iron skillet is great and has that nice rustic appeal that suits this dish.  One dish clean-up is hard to beat!  Instead of regular chili powder, which is a blend of spices, I use pure guajillo powder.  Most commercial chili powders have added salt, sometimes too much.  Don’t misunderstand me.  I use salt; our bodies require salt, but I prefer to control the salt content.  I love guajillo chiles.  They are so much more nuanced; they have wonderful floral and fruity back-flavors and just a nice amount of heat.  I added some ground cumin and ground coriander, too.  Chicken Mole Skillet DinnerI had leftover Brazilian Bakery Sunday Chicken, but you could absolutely use a supermarket rotisserie chicken for this.  I found the mixture was a bit to gummy and thick, so I poured a little beer to both thin and deglaze the pan.  I have included it in the recipe, because I think it added a nice flavor, as well.  This goes together quickly.  Then a few minutes in a hot oven, grab your fork and dig in!

Chicken Mole Skillet Dinner

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Fast & Easy
  • Print

  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or beer
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons pure ground guajillo chile powder, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (toasted, if possible)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3 cups shredded chicken (leftover from a rotisserie chicken is great)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips
  • Sliced, pickled jalapeño pepper rings
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large heavy skillet (cast iron is perfect for this), heat the oil over medium high heat until hot; stir in the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce, cocoa powder, honey, guajillo powder, cumin, coriander and broth (or beer); bring to a simmer.  Cook for 1 minute; stir in the chicken until it’s heat through and everything is bubbly.

Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the filling to a 3-quart casserole dish and sprinkle the cheese and tortilla chips over top.  Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with the jalapeño pepper rings, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Mole Skillet Dinner Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2015.  All rights reserved.

I added some pickled jalapeños and a nice heap of chopped up fresh cilantro…The Goddess loves, loves, loves cilantro.  This is a truly delicious combination of flavors.  Savory, with a hint of sweetness.  A little heat, a little salt, with loads of flavor…what more could you want for dinner or a great, late night snack? I do think a nice squeeze of lime would really make the flavor pop…next time.  And there will be a “next time”.