• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Recipes
    • Keto Desserts
    • Keto Breakfast Recipes
  • WORK WITH ME
  • KETO COOKBOOKS
  • PRESS
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

All Day I Dream About Food

All the best low carb keto recipes for a healthy lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
  • Muffins & Scones
  • Side Dishes
  • Keto Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Dairy Free

April 14, 2010

Chili and Cheese Chicken Rellenos (Stuffed Chicken Breasts – original recipe)

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

183shares


Lest you think that all I ever make are sweets and baked goods, I thought I should post this exceptionally tasty creation. I wish I had a better photo with which to show off the yummy chili and cheese filling, but it was suppertime on a rainy day and I had to use the flash on my camera. And my children were hungry and clamouring to eat, so I had to shoot quickly and get these on the table!

The inspiration for this recipe came about in a rather circuitous fashion. I’d been wanting to use my crockpot for something other than yogurt and was perusing a not-very-interesting Crockpot recipe book that I (or rather Santa) had put in my husband’s stocking a few years ago. I’m not sure why I bothered, as the recipes are about as interesting as reading the phone book, and probably about as flavourful as eating it. But a recipe for carne rellenos, which called for wrapping cream cheese-filled chilies in a big hunk of flank steak, somehow caught my eye. It’s a classic Crockpot meal – very few ingredients and extremely easy to make, but it likely yields a tough piece of meat with very little flavour. Still, it planted a seed, and when I stumbled across a recipe for stuffed chicken breasts, the seed began to sprout.

The original plan was to cook these in the crockpot, but as the recipe took shape in my head, I began to favour baking them in the oven for a more crispy exterior. The funny thing about crockpot cooking is that the best recipes always seem to require a few extra steps outside of the pot, like browning the meat. It rather defeats the purpose of the crockpot as an easy, one-pot meal-maker. I love the idea of tossing all the ingredients in, turning it on and walking away, but I’ve rarely had a decent meal that way. And I did not want tough chicken with soggy breading for these rellenos, so I decided that the oven was the better choice.

For the filling, I intended to use chopped jalapenos for a little heat, but as almost any parent can tell you, small children are intensely spice-adverse. In the end I went with a can of mild green chilies so that I could enjoy a family dinner without hearing the “It’s too spicy, I don’t like this” refrain. I did sneak some chili powder into the breading, and apparently I got away with it…this time, at least!

The Results: Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am extremely proud of this meal. It was delicious! Even with the scaled-back spice, the filling was wonderfully flavourful. The chicken was juicy and the breading crisped up nicely and didn’t overbrown. The child with the most sensitive palate (he’s a gringo through and through, that one), declared it his favourite chicken dish. It was fairly involved, but definitely worth the effort. As a dish for the whole family, I wouldn’t change a thing. It could easily be spiced up a bit for those who like it hot, by subbing jalapenos in the filling and chipotle powder in the breading.

Sadly, the crockpot still hasn’t seen much use besides being an ad hoc yogurt maker. I suppose I will keep looking!

Chili and Cheese Chicken Rellenos

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded monterey jack, cheddar or a combination
1 can diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cilantro, minced
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp butter, melted

Spray a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.

Stir cream cheese, shredded cheese, chilies, garlic, cilantro and salt and pepper together until well-combined.

Pound chicken breasts between layers of plastic wrap to an even 1/4 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Starting at the wider end of each chicken breast, spread 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture about halfway down the breast. Roll each breast up tightly from the wider end towards the narrower end. You may end up with some filling left over, set it aside.

Place each roll, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Make sure that the rolls are not touching, they need space to cook through evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until filling is firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Mix any leftover filling with yogurt and lime juice and spread over the top and sides of each chicken breast.

Combine breadcrumbs and chili powder, and sprinkle over top and sides of each breast, pressing lightly with a spoon to make sure they stick. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake in the middle position of oven 35-40 minutes, or until center of chicken roll reaches 160F.

183shares

Filed Under: Uncategorized

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!


Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Anonymous says

    August 30, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    These are in the oven now and smell heavenly. I made a pico to go on the side. The family will be happy tonight!

    Reply
  2. Jana B says

    February 21, 2012 at 2:08 am

    Ohhhhh I tried these today and they were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo good!!!! I forgot the melted butter, and had trouble getting the chicken thin enough… but all's well that ends well! Thanks for the yummy recipe!

    Reply
  3. Sharon says

    June 15, 2013 at 8:07 pm

    Hi! I just discovered you today while browsing for tips & ideas before making my own Mexican stuffed chicken breasts for dinner tonight. Thanks for the idea of adding cream cheese to the filling mix. I always have some on hand. I will fry mine in my tried-and-true chile rellenos batter, as usual, ’cause that’s how we like ’em. I really enjoy your writing style. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 16, 2013 at 6:53 am

      Thanks for your comment. your version sounds delicious too!

      Reply
  4. Faith says

    January 16, 2014 at 5:41 pm

    Bread crumbs? What exactly did you use?

    Reply
    • SDH says

      October 26, 2016 at 9:04 pm

      Cornflakes work great for the breaking to give it a southwestern/Mexican flare. Or you could make cornbread crumbs.

      Reply
    • SDH says

      October 26, 2016 at 9:08 pm

      Cornflakes work great for the bread crumbs to give it a southwestern/Mexican flare. Or you could make cornbread crumbs.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!

Carolyn PortraitLooking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

Recipe Key

Diet & FitnessPaleoKeto Meal Plans
Low Carb Gluten Free

Footer

All Day I Dream About Food
COPYRIGHT © 2021 · ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT FOOD · DISCLOSURE POLICY · PRIVACY POLICY