Dante’s Heaven and Hell Chicken
- Serves: 2 – 4
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 35 minutes
This recipe earns its name from the two extremes that are to be found in the sauce. At first bite you are seduced buy the mild, heavenly smooth texture, the delicious buttery mushrooms, and the tender chicken breast enveloped in a blanket of delicate, thinly sliced ham. As the flavors continue to blend, the smokiness of the ham, and bacon gives you a hint of things to come, followed by just the tingle, mere hint, of heat from the black pepper leads ultimately to a mellow, lasting spicy burn of the jalapeno sauce which lingers on your palate and memory for many minutes after the meal is past. Try this as a dinner with your special someone and enjoy the journey of flavors.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | lb | chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (about 2 half breasts) |
| 2 | oz | thinly sliced lean ham (about 4 slices) |
| 10 | oz can | cream of ham and mushroom soup (available at some grocery stores) |
| 3/4 | cup | milk |
| 4 | oz can | sliced mushrooms, drained |
| 1 | Tablespoon | green Tabasco or jalapeno sauce |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | garlic powder |
| 1/8 | tsp | black pepper |
| 2 | tbsp | melted bacon fat |
To prepare:
Preheat oven to 375°. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap, pound with a heavy mallet to tenderize and slightly flatten, remove from plastic, then place into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or oiled. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then place the ham slices on top and season with more pepper and garlic powder. Place into the oven for approximately 15 minutes to brown slightly. Meanwhile, mix the condensed soup, milk, mushrooms, jalapeno sauce, and bacon fat together until well blended. Pour the mixture over the chicken breasts and put the casserole back into the oven for another 20- 25 minutes or until the sauce is well thickened and bubbling. Serve immediately over rice or pasta and enjoy!
