I was eating a handful of tortilla chips after work, today – leftover hurricane provisions – when I decided I wanted Mexican food for dinner tonight.  Or, rather, my gringo version of Mexican food.  It’s been a few lifetimes ago since I was last actually in Mexico and no self-respecting Mexican would lay claim to the things I throw together, but I do love the flavors.  While my concoctions may be unorthodox, they’re usually fun and flavorful.

Tonight’s concept started out as a chicken breast that I floured, egg-dipped, and then coated in a combination of panko bread crumbs and cornmeal.  Fairly unorthodox.  I sauteed a chopped bell pepper and a bit of jalapeño pepper and then added it to some pinto beans and a jar of tomatillo salsa – salsa verde.  It went into a casserole, the browned chicken breasts went on top, and it all went into a 350° oven for 30 minutes.

I then took it out, added the sliced tomatoes and pepper jack cheese, and put it back into the oven for another 20 minutes.

It was ooey-gooey good!  My mom would make dishes like this when we were kids.  Vaguely ethnic in a white bread sort of way.  It was great because when I finally did have authentic ethnic meals, there was just enough familiarity for me to accept them and not be afraid to try things and experiment with even more exotic flavors.

Yum.

I really do like simple, one-dish meals.  I love when the weather turns colder and soups, stews, and casseroles come back out.

My only problem is I usually can’t make a one-pot meal without dirtying a dozen pots.

I shouldn’t complain. It is an art-form, after all.  But it is a bit ironic…