Two chipotle recipes in just a few weeks! 
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Because you never use one can of chipotle all at once. Your mouth would burn forever.
So, I'm working on this can of chipotle peppers that I opened for the sweet potatoes a few weeks ago, and I wanted a main dish that was all smoky and sexy but also could be made ahead for, say, a Wednesday. Also, it contains meat and I have leftovers, so MEAT EATERS COME OVER. Seriously.
Let's cook. You need any kind of pasta you like, chorizo, onion, garlic, bell peppers (1 regular sized one is obviously fine), cumin, chili powder, hominy, spinach, chicken broth, chipotle peppers, sour cream, and cheese. Cheese! 
You also need chicken, which was sitting directly behind me when I took the first picture. 
So here's what I do: I cook the pasta in one pot while I start the chorizo and chicken in another skillet. Then when the pasta is DONE I drain it and use the same pot for the veggies and eventually combine everything altogether in the original pasta pot. You can figure out any other kind of pot/pan merry-go-round you like, though.
So we start the pasta, and add the chorizo to a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
While the chorizo cooks, cube the chicken - it goes in next. 
Break the chorizo up with a spoon as it cooks and browns. 
When it's cooked through, remove it to a plate to hang out. 
Add the cubed chicken to the same skillet with the cumin and chili powder and all the chorizo drippings. Flavor! 
Now, we've got chicken and pasta cooking at this point. Dice the onion...
...and the bell peppers...
....and the cheese....
....and mince the garlic. This could of course all be done well in advance if you like doing things a bit more slowly. Cooking is sometimes more fun with all the prep work done in advance! 
When the chicken is done, after about 7 minutes, remove it from the skillet as well. When the PASTA is done, add a drizzle of oil to the pot and add the onions...
...then the peppers and the garlic. 
Let the veggies work for just another minute or so more, then add the hominy, drained, to the pot. 
And now it all goes kind of fast! Turn the heat off the pot. Pasta, chipotle, sour cream, and stock get thrown in. 
And then we add the cheese...
...and the chicken and spinach! 
Now, stir everything together and taste. Add salt and pepper if you'd like, or some more stock to create a little bit more of a sauce. 
Pour the whole thing into a 
SEXY. 
I mean, seriously children. You garnish with some cilantro leaves and lime wedges, and go. to. town. 
This is really delicious, has great flavor, and you could totes make this a few days in advance and just bake it when you're ready to eat. Try it soon! The texture of the hominy is killlllller good.
Recipe
Chipotle Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces short cut pasta cooked to package directions
- 6 ounces Mexican chorizo
- 1 pound chicken tenders or breast cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ onion diced
- 1 bell pepper or several baby bells chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can drained white hominy
- 8 ounces pepperjack or other melting cheese cubed
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup chicken stock plus more if needed
- 1 chipotle in adobo diced, plus 1 tablespoon of juice from the can
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat a pot and a large skillet to medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil; the pot can be the same one you used for the pasta. To the skillet, add the chorizo (remove it from the casing) and cook until brown and crumbly. When the chorizo is cooked, remove it from the skillet and add the chicken tenders with the chili powder, cumin, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for about 6 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
- To the pot, add the onion, garlic, and peppers. Saute for 4 minutes or until the veggies soften, then add the hominy, chicken broth, chipotle, sour cream, cooked pasta, chicken, and the spinach.
- Stir everything together and taste: add salt and pepper to your preference. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more chicken stock to create some more sauce. Stir in the cubes of cheese, and transfer the mixture to a large baking dish. Sprinkle the cooked chorizo over top and bake for 15 minutes at 400F until the top of the casserole is slightly browned.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- If you're sensitive to heat, just use some of the juices from the chipotle can and not an actual pepper.
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