One Friday night after a long week at work, I ordered something “new” at a Mexican restaurant called Pollo Nevado. My college education was substantial enough to clue me in this translates as “snow chicken.” I’ve eaten at this restaurant several times since, but now, Pollo Nevado is what I order whenever I’m there. You know how it is, right? You go to a restaurant, and you find something on the menu, and that’s it—from then on that’s what you order. Pollo Nevado is that dish for me. Here is my homemade version it. Although I still don’t know how the restaurant gets the chicken so thin.
Pollo Nevado
4 chicken breast cutlets, or 2 whole boneless skinless breasts halved horizontally
15 oz can of refried beans, enough for 4 cutlets
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
fresh cilantro, chopped
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a cutlet on a cutting board, cover with plastic rap, and pound out as thin as possible. Repeat for all the cutlets. If you can’t get chicken cutlets from the butcher simply half them yourself horizontally from a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
2) Heat an oven proof pan for a few minutes, add olive oil, and after another couple minutes add the chicken cutlets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for one minute, flip and remove from heat.
3) “Frost” the cutlets with refried beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4) Top with shredded cheese.
5) Place pan in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt and get slightly brown and bubbly (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).
Pollo Nevado (a.k.a. Snow Chicken, or Mexican Chicken)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets, or 2 whole boneless skinless breasts halved horizontally
- 15 oz can of refried beans, enough for 4 cutlets
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Step 1 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a cutlet on a cutting board, cover with plastic rap, and pound out as thin as possible. Repeat for all the cutlets. If you can’t get chicken cutlets from the butcher simply half them yourself horizontally from a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
- Step 2 2) Heat an oven proof pan for a few minutes, add olive oil, and after another minute add the chicken cutlets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for one minute, flip and remove from heat.
- Step 3 3) “Frost” the cutlets with refried beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Step 4 4) Top with shredded cheese.
- Step 5 5) Place pan in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt and get slightly brown and bubbly (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).
that looks yummy and easy!