Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce

This is another one of those can’t-wait-to-share-it, so-good-I-want-to-scream-it-from-the-rooftops sort of dishes. This was our dinner last night, and I’m actually wishing we could have the exact same thing tonight. We would, if I still had all of the ingredients on hand. Rest assured that this one will be showing up frequently in our rotation.

The instant I saw this recipe show up on Krista’s Kitchen, I felt like it must have been created just for me. You all know my love of jalapeno popper-y things, and I think I immediately started drooling when I saw this. I had intended to make this just the way it was written, but on the way home from work I had a brainstorm to bread the chicken with cornmeal, so it would be super crispy in contrast to the creamy sauce and pay even more homage to the jalapeno popper.

You guys. This was so incredibly good. The chicken was crispy and so flavorful on its own, but the sauce. Oh, the sauce was the total star of this dish. It was so creamy and smoky and luxurious and just slightly spicy (but not so spicy that my toddler couldn’t eat it; he devoured his portion!). I may have eaten the leftover bits of the sauce with a spoon, right out of the pan. I’m just saying. That might have happened.

Like Krista, I served this with taco rice out of a packet, and I even shamelessly topped the rice with the sauce. I think I would eat this sauce on just about anything and it would taste good.

This is an awesome recipe. You're going to love this one.

Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce
adapted from Krista’s Kitchen, who got it from Mommie Cooks

3 chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 slices of bacon, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Fry bacon until crisp in a high-sided skillet. Remove to paper towel-lined plate.

2. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, and salt on a rimmed plate. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then in cornmeal mixture. Shallow-fry in vegetable oil in a large skillet until crisp and juices run clear. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towels, and keep warm.

3. Add jalapenos to the skillet you used for the bacon, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in shredded cheese and reserved bacon, stirring until the cheese in melted.

4. Serve chicken topped with (lots of) sauce.