Weeknight Cajun Chicken

If you are ever stuck for a recipe idea for during the week, this Cajun Chicken is easy and simple and cooks up in no time.
 

Start with boneless chicken breasts from the store, be sure to remove any of the silver skin that is left on and pound them with the tenderizer end of your meat mallet breaking down the connective tissue for maximum tenderness. Get a jar of your favorite Cajun spice rub - or make your own recipe. In no time at all you'll have dinner on the table!

Back when I did a post using Gourmet Warehouse's Cherry Jalapeno BBQ Sauce, they also sent me a container of their Orleans Cajun Spice Rub. We really like it and I am so pleased with how this chicken tastes and how quickly it all comes together.

• 4 chicken cutlets
• Cajun spice rub
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

1. Wash your chicken in cold water and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Remove any remaining silver skin on the chicken.
2. Between pieces of plastic wrap, use the tenderizer end of your meat mallet to break down the connective tissue in the cutlet. You can also pound down the thicker end to make the cutlet a bit more even.
3. Once that is done rub a generous amount of the Cajun spice rub over both sides of the chicken and let it sit for a while while you prep the vegetables you will be having along with the chicken.
4. When you are ready to cook set a large skillet that has a cover on your stove top over medium high heat and melt the butter and olive oil in the pan until it sizzles.
5. Add the chicken to the pan and sear on both sides for about 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, add in the chicken broth or water and cover. Cook gently for about 6-8 minutes more and check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165° for safety reasons.

The cooking time on the chicken will vary with how thick your cutlets are so adjust up or down by 2 minutes. We served our dinner with a saute of garden squash and peppers.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 portions
Cost: approximately $7.76 (chicken and the side of vegetables)

My package of chicken cost $4.55 back in 2014 and this weeks trip in 2016 it cost $4.75. Shop Rite labeled the chicken as "boneless chicken breast thin slice". With as large as the breasts are you can easily feed four people by cutting them in half.

The vegetable side was zucchini with yellow peppers sauteed

in some olive oil with the Cajun spice sprinkled all over.

Simple, delicious and inexpensive!