Mexican Chicken

This is easily my favorite food group, next to chocolate.

I mean, a third of that nutrition pyramid should just be Mexican food...

I am slowly eating my way through the local Mexican restaurants, of which there are many. My favorite so far is a little place called "Los Antojitos".  The name is a type of Mexican street snack to fulfill a craving (so says wikipedia).  And boy does this place do that!  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but don't let that stop you.  The food is super fresh and delicious; try the Carne Asada! 

I kept my red pepper pieces large because I like to see what I'm eating...

Did I mention this meal is cheap? We're newly weds on a budget, taking swings at our student loans and cursing netflix for jacking up their prices...

Beans might as well be free... They are so cheap.  So I will probably be making something else with them someday.  Like Red Beans and Rice, so brace yourself!

It smelled so good when it came out of the oven. I put a whole bunch of cheese on mine... probably too much.  It's a very filling meal, and tastes great with very little work involved.

I dressed it up a bit with sour cream (more cheese) and green onions.  My husband, who is just wasting away, is always standing around waiting for me to get done taking pictures so we can dump more cheese and sour cream on.  

The only thing that's missing is a bowl full of queso and some thin corn chips. I love that. I don't even know I order food at Mexican restaurants... all I do is stuff myself with chips and queso!

Mexican Chicken (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (20 ounce) jar salsa
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Arrange the chicken pieces in a 3 quart casserole dish or a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Combine the salsa, red bell pepper, cumin, lemon juice, chili powder and garlic. 

4. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Pour the black beans on top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.  The last 5 to 10 minutes, I took the aluminum off and put the cheese  on, and continued to bake till the cheese was melted and toasty! Serve with rice if desired.