A Week of Low-Carb Meals, Day 3: Southwest Ranch Chicken Breasts

We continue forward on our lowcarb mission, and tonight’s dinner is another riff on the hubby’s favorites. I make a version of this dish stuffed with rice and beans, similar to what I’ve written about previously in the Southwestern Stuffed Portabellas.

But in order to cut the carb, this recipe takes a slightly different spin, stuffed with tomatoes, chiles, and mushrooms. Read on for details!

Ingredients:

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
  • 1 can of rotel
  • 1 package of sliced white mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
  • Green Onions to garnish (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro to garnish (optional)
  • Sour cream to garnish (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions:

  1. With a paring knife, trim excess fat off chicken breasts, and cut a slice partially (but not all the way) through the center of each breast lengthwise, allowing you to pull the edges apart and create a bit of a bowl shape.
  2. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in the Ranch dressing mix. Place in a baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, toss the sliced mushrooms with the olive oil and additional salt and pepper, until the oil is absorbed.  Then, dump them on top of and around the chicken breasts.
  4. Open and drain a can of Rotel, then dump those on top of and around the chicken.
  5. Cook at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160 degrees internally.
  6. Add 1/3 of the cheese to each of the breast, and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until well melted.
  7. Remove the chicken and plate with desired garnishes. I prefer a dollop of sour cream, and chopped green onions and cilantro.

And of course, enjoy!  This was a tasty one!