My husband loves tortilla chips, but he won’t touch those little pieces left in the bottom of the bag, so I crush them with a rolling pin to make a coating for boneless chicken breasts. This family favorite can be easily expanded into a party meal. Ordinarily, I serve his with rice, and sometimes I like to add black beans, too.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

　　1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

　　1 tablespoon honey

　　2/3 cup crushed corn tortilla chips

　　One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

　　1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack

　　Fresh cilantro sprigs and lime wedges for garnish

　　Cooked rice

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that there is a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 475°F. Cover a shallow baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick spray.

　　

Step 2

Rinse the chicken breasts and dry with paper towels. Mix together the lime juice and honey. Dip the chicken breasts in the mixture, then coat both sides in the tortilla chips. Place on the prepared baking pan.

　　

Step 3

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken breasts are cooked through and the coating is lightly browned.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or a blender, process the tomatoes with their juice, the cilantro, garlic, and oregano until smooth. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 4 to 5 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Sprinkle the chicken with the cheese and return it to the oven just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Spoon the sauce onto dinner plates and place the chicken on top. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and serve with rice.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.