Chicken Dinners
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[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]

About the author: Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Easy Artisan Bread. You can also watch her culinary stylings on the America's Test Kitchen television show. She presently lives in Singapore working on her new baking cookbook, and as a recipe developer for HungryGoWhere Singapore. Check out her blog, shophousecook.com, or follow her on Twitter @yvonneruperti.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, halved, seeded, finely chopped
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground with spice grinder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup chopped grape tomatoes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 24 ounces ground chicken
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice from one lime
  • 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken stock
  • 6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated on box grater
  • 9 ounces tortila chips, finely crushed
  • 8 ounces tomatillos, pulsed in processor until crushed

Procedures

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with foil and spray with pan spray. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat to shimmering. Add onions, pepper, jalapeños, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

  2. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, coriander, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and tomatoes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Transfer to large bowl and cool briefly, about 10 minutes. Add chicken, eggs, cilantro, lime juice, broth, cheese, chips and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until thoroughly combined. Gently pack into loaf pan.

  4. Bake 30 minutes. Stir crushed tomatillos with 1/4 teaspoon salt and spread over top of casserole. Continue to bake until the center of the casserole registers 160°F on an instant read thermometer, about 30 minutes more. Let rest in pan 10 minutes. Lift out of pan, slice and serve.