Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce

Mexican spiced chicken topped with a creamy cheese sauce makes this, Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce delicious any night of the week. Pair it with the Perfect Mexican Rice for a complete meal that your family will be begging for more.

I am still in shock that next week is Thanksgiving. It feels as if we just put away the jack-o’-lanterns and spiders, and polishing off the rest of the candy left over from trick-or-treating.  Oh, you still have some? That’s great, no I mean it really is. I think I ate everything that Kelsie couldn’t have, which was everything except for Reese Cups and M&M’s. And yes, I do believe I am still nauseated. 

Is it too soon to be pulling out the Christmas decorations? I was ready the day after Halloween, but I also have a bit of OCD when it comes to clutter and dust. I have so many nick knacks for the holidays that it seems we have a constant layer of dust between October and January. This year may be like last, where I took more of a simplistic look at Christmas, and we only had the tree up, garland out, stockings hung, and the nativity on the shelf. It looked nice, didn’t seem too simple because our house is small and our tree is huge, and I was able to dust surfaces! 

Enough about the holidays and let’s talk about this Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce. Cumin, chili powder, paprika, and garlic are my go to spices when I cook chicken, but with a few additions I have a Mexican spice blend that makes this chicken taste like it  came with your meal at the  local Mexican restaurant. Then when you put it on top of the perfect Mexican rice, and then top that with this cheese sauce, it’s perfection.

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Mexican Chicken with Cheese Sauce

Author Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh

Ingredients

::Chicken:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

::cheese sauce:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese do not use the bags!, shredded

Instructions

::chicken:

1. Mix together your seasonings and season both sides of the chicken breasts well.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium to high heat, and grill your chicken until done. (int temp 165 deg f)
3. Set aside.

::cheese sauce:

1. In a medium sized sauce pot, melt your butter over medium heat.
2. Whisk in your flour and cook until it begins to just bubble around the edges.
3. Add in the milk, slowly, whisking to combine as you go.
4. Continue to whisk until your mix as heated through.
5. You'll want to check the temp (I use my finger). You want it to be hot enough to melt the cheese, but not boiling.
6. When the mix is hot, start whisking in your cheese in small amounts at a time until all of the cheese has been mixed in.
7. Once the cheese is melted, stir in your paprika and cayenne pepper. Season with salt if needed. Serve hot over the chicken.

Recipe Notes

This dish is great on top of plain rice or alone. However, it is best served with our Perfect Mexican Rice.
This cheese sauce is also very good as a cheese dip for your chips!