Chad Agler's Recipe

Carlos O'Kelley's Chicken Picado

Category: Recipes

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PICADO SAUCE:
1 cup milk
1 (8 ounces) container sour cream (1 cup)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, divided use
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 to 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
corn starch mixture to thicken sauce (2 tsp corn starch with 2 tsp water mixed)
1 tomato, diced very thin, drained (save juice)
FOR THE CHICKEN:
4 to 8 boneless chicken breasts, cut in pieces no larger than 1-inch
6 to 10 green onions, sliced very, very thin (separate white onion and green stems you will use both)
1 small green bell pepper, diced very thin
FOR THE PICADO:
16 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
2 to 3 small tortillas per person

DIRECTIONS
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2
TO PREPARE THE PICADO SAUCE:
3
Combine milk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the butter, salt, pepper, and minced garlic in skillet over medium to medium low heat. Stir and heat till sauce starts to boil.
4
Transfer sauce to Blender. Puree sauce till smooth. Transfer back to skillet. Continue to heat till boiling. Add cornstarch mixture and stir till thickened.
5
Add tomato juice from diced tomatoes and stir. Transfer back to blender Puree. Cover and set aside.
6
TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
7
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute the white portions of the green onions, bell pepper, and chicken. Add water if necessary to ensure chicken does not crisp or get dry. For best results lower temperature, cover and cook slowly. Cook till chicken is completely white.
8
TO BAKE THE PICADO:
9
On oven safe plates, arrange chicken without allowing pieces to touch each other. (this may take several plates). Cover chicken with Picado sauce (3/4 covered). Cover entire mixture with heavy layer of Monterey Jack Cheese. Sprinkle diced tomatoes and scallions (green part of green onions sliced thin) over top of cheese.
10
Bake in oven at 350 until all cheese is melted completely. Remove from oven just before it begins to turn a light golden color. Cheese still needs to be white.
11
Meanwhile, warm tortillas in microwave by placing wax paper between each tortilla stacked on a microwave safe plate for 1–3 minutes on high (covered).
12
Serve fresh and hot from oven. Each tortilla should contain 2–4 Tsp of Picado. Add any desired toppings (guacamole, Tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, etc.) Many people love this without any additional toppings. Roll tortillas and eat.

ALTERNATE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a glass baking dish (I use an 8x8) put the chicken, peppers & onions mixture in the bottom of the pan, & cover with picado sauce puree. Top with LOTS of monterrey jack cheese, the green onion & diced tomato, & bake in the oven until cheese is melted, & the sauce is golden & bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes.