Sometimes I am craving something hearty, but don’t want it to break the proverbial bank when it comes to nutritionn. This Jalapeno Cornbread & Chicken Verde Bake is a delicious comfort food, loaded with flavor but not the fat and calories.
A simple mix of chicken breasts, vegetables and salsa verde is topped with a jalapeno cornbread to make an easy casserole that the whole family will enjoy. I’m not always a big fan of preparing an entree with separate side dishes such as a vegetable and a starch. That is why I love this dish, because it hits all of your important food groups in one simple dish!
My Dad and husband are in full swing working on the farm right now. I might be wrong, because I honestly don’t pay all that much attention to the day to day activities on the farm, but I think it is bailing season at the moment.
Yes, yes, I am a horrible farm wife as my mother is sure to remind me of. 🙂 Times have changed though, and it isn’t my only job to take care of the household and give the guys rides to the fields. (Thank goodness my mom is willing and able to do that!)
I have a full-time job and photography business to keep up with, so I am preoccupied keeping all my irons organized in the fire and have less time to worry about what particular crop or custom job the guys are working on.
With my husband being gone from early morning to late evening, I am often cooking for myself. (We’ll pretend for a minute that I cater to him during the rest of the year! haha Ya right!) Don’t worry though, my husband is getting fed well by my mother on the main farmstead.
Casseroles like these are great though, because they can easily be re-heated later in the evening when my husband gets home or packed up for my lunch the next day.
Jalapeno Cornbread & Chicken Verde Bake
A simple and flavorful casserole with chicken, vegetables, and salsa verde topped with a hearty jalapeno cornbread and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts cubed
- 1 med. onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jar 16oz. salsa verde
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 box jiffy cornbread mix
- 1/3 c. skim milk
- 1 egg
- Plain Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- Cilantro or Parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Spray a large saute pan with non-stick spray and over high heat, cook your chicken, bell pepper and onions. Once the chicken is cooked through after about 4-6 minutes, add the jar of salsa verde and remove from the heat.
- Pour the mixture into a sprayed 9"x9" baking pan.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the jiffy cornbread mix, milk and egg until well combined. Pour this mixture on top of the chicken and vegetables.
- Thinly slice the jalapenos into circles and use them to top the cornbread mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cornbread is set.
- Serve warm with a cool dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 -6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 351Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 899mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 45g
Provided nutrition data is only an estimate. If you are tracking these nutrients for medical purposes, please consult an outside, trusted source.
Looking for more great meals that are hearty and healthy?
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This sounds so delicious. I love to use salsa verde. The cornbread topping puts it over the top. Yum!
Thanks Christie, salsa verde is something I only started using a couple of years ago, but have come to love it!
This casserole sounds beyond delicious. All of the flavors are fabulous on their own, but I bet they’re even more amazing in this dish. Love the jalapeno slices on top 😉
Thanks Kathi, it really is such a simple and great dinner that I love making.
This looks and sounds fantastic!! I’m right there with you on not always wanting to plan for and prepare an entree plus side dishes, so casseroles are pretty much my favorite things ever. Looking forward to trying this!
I hope you enjoy it, I love a good one-dish meal that is well-balanced, and this definitely fits the bill!
I love jalapeno cornbread, but I’ve never had a version like this one. It looks so darn yummy!
Thanks Jaren!
i have never tried cornbread before! definitely inspired to recreate this recipe now.. looks delicious!
Thanks Thalia, I didn’t grow up in a family ever eating cornbread, but have enjoyed it once I began cooking for myself.
I’m guessing you know more about what’s going on with the farm than you let on! Love that this combines all aspects of a meal in one dish and it’s lightened up!
Haha, not sure about that, you probably know more about what is going on the farm than I do and you aren’t even living on the farm! 🙂
This looks great and I can’t wait to make it. What size jar of salsa verde though? I usually buy a really big one, so I need to know how much to add.
Hi Megan, I use a 16 oz. jar of salsa verde. I hope you enjoy it!
For some reason I feel like this should have some shredded cheese in it?
Brianna, shredded cheese would be a great addition to this. I was going for a healthier meal with this, so I didn’t add any, but you could easily add a couple of cups of shredded cheddar over the chicken before you pour your cornbread mix over it.
Yes yes and MORE yes!! This casserole just sounds amazing!
Thanks Bobbi!
Have you tried freezing this? I was thinking of making double and freezing one (I’m freezing meals for after baby girl arrives in a couple of weeks). It seems like it should freeze okay but I wondered if you had done it and had tips. I guess you really have to bake it and then freeze it which means it’s not a PERFECT freezer meal but seems like it would be good enough and would like some variety besides pasta meals.
congrats on your impending little one! I have never tried freezing this recipe and honestly I would be a bit hesitant to do so with the cornbread. If you were wanting to freeze this recipe I would recommend freezing the base layer with the chicken and salsa verde in a freezer friendly pan and then when you go to bake it thaw it out and just add the cornbread layer on top that you could mix together in a matter of minutes. If you are tired of pasta dishes and looking for more freezer friendly options I would suggest one of my stuffed pepper recipes which freeze great. Best of luck!
Good to know. I haven’t done it but in my head cornbread seems like it would freeze well. I will look at some of your other pepper recipes! Thanks!
Such a quick and easy dish but it is very tasty. My boyfriend says it’s one of his favorite dishes. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you both enjoyed it!
Hello there! I am considering on making this dish this upcoming week for my fiance and I. He is quite picky when it comes to leftovers, so I was wondering if this dish does make good leftovers? I’m worried about the cornbread part of the dish. Thank you!
Hi Kaylin, the corn bread is going to loose a bit of it original texture after being stored and reheated. This isn’t a dish that will taste just the same for leftovers.
Thank you for the comments, Danielle! I figured it would be a lot different in texture. I just wonder if the picky fiance would like as such…I guess I can try it and see! I really like this recipe idea. Thank you!
Danielle! This is so attractive. At first time, I really wanna make this myself. Thankfully, all of my family members were like this. I had so fun dinner with a delicious meal. Thanks again.
What size box of corn bread?
A 8.5oz Jiffy corn bread is what I used.