I’m always looking for new ways to have a Mexican tasting dish that isn’t enchiladas or tacos. This recipe hit all the boxes plus the cheese sauce….pushed it over the top!! I am NOT a fan of fake cheese sauces like nacho sauce or Velveeta cheese. So it’s the perfect dinner with the spicy chicken, homemade cheese sauce over Mexican rice!

Now trying to take decent dinner pictures during the winter with cloudy skies and hungry boys is harder than you think! So you will just have to trust me on this one and add this dinner to your menu this week!

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2-4 chicken breasts (I normally do 2 for Trav and I)
• 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
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon of spice mixture above
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded, do not use the bags! (Alway use block cheese and shred it yourself when you want to melt it in a sauce)

Directions

Chicken

1. Mix together your seasonings in a bowl
2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts so that the spice mix is covered all over
3. Heat a grill pan over medium to high heat, and grill your chicken until done. (int temp 165 deg f)
4. 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. Add the spice mixture to the sauce
8. Serve chicken over cooked rice and covered with cheese sauce