A few months ago I picked up a recipe card from a cooking demonstration at HEB. I didn't purchase the spices they were advertising because I figured I'd just pick it up another time. One of the recipes they were sampling was "Salsa Baked Chicken." Serious yum factor! A couple of weeks after picking up the recipe, I decided I would make the dish for dinner. However, when I went to purchase the ingredients, I went to the other HEB across town, and I could NOT find the seasoning rub it called for. I looked everywhere I could think of and finally decided to see if I could find something on the ethnic aisle that would suffice. I came across something called El Mexicano Achiote Verde. Now, to those of you who cook on a more regular basis than me, or just plain know more about cooking than I do [Melissa, if you're reading this, YOU are at the top of that list! And you too, Monica :) ], this little box of deliciousness may come as no surprise to you. But I really think I have hit the jackpot having found this blend of spices, when it comes to cooking Mexican food. It gives the meat a true, authentic Mexican flavor. If you've never tried it, you definitely should! This little 3 oz. box was not even $1 at HEB. Here is the recipe for the chicken. It's really fast, easy and definitely worth trying!!

Salsa Baked Chicken

1 pound chicken breasts 1 cup Cookwell & Company salsa (Escabeche, Roasted Corn & Black Bean, or Tomatillo - this brand was from HEB, but you could use any other)
El Mexicano Achiote Verde seasoning paste
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
Nonstick cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.
• Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Break off a bit of the seasoning paste, and season both sides by rubbing it all over the chicken. Place in baking pan and top with equal amounts of salsa. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle each breast with equal amounts of cheese and crushed chips. Return to oven for 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
• Garnish with sour cream and sliced avocado.

Now, this evening I set out to make Sour Cream Enchiladas, using a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. The original recipe didn't call for the chicken to be seasoned at all, and I thought that sounded really boring. So, I used that great little spice paste once again! It definitely did the trick! I altered the recipe slightly to suit our tastes.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Olive oil
El Mexicano Achiote Verde seasoning paste
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 onion, chopped
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 3 oz. can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 oz. cream cheese (approx.)
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Rub both sides of chicken well with the seasoning paste and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss the chicken cubes in a bowl to ensure they are thoroughly coated with the seasoining. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Place chicken breast into skillet with the onion and cook and stir until no longer pink in the center. Finely chop the cooked chicken. Divide chicken and onions, and 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, evenly among the tortillas then roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Heat the cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and green chiles in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sour cream. Continue stirring until heated though. Pour sauce over tortillas and sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese on top. Bake until sauce is bubbling and the Cheddar cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.

Voila!