Oven-Baked Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

When I make fajitas, I usually grill the meat and vegetables, whether outside or in a grill pan on the stovetop. But this time I thought I’d give baking them a try, and the chicken turned out wonderfully tender and juicy, and the peppers and onion gave the dish visual appeal as well as great flavor. And it couldn’t be easier—stir it all together and let it bake.

The “salsa” in these fajitas (which I normally serve as a fresh condiment on the side) is actually a chunky tomato sauce, kicked up with chipotle chiles and a little jalapeno. It provides a very juicy base for the meat and veggies to bake in, keeping everything moist and adding rich, smoky flavor on its own.

For grilled fajitas recipes, check out Grilled Steak Fajitas with Poblanos and Fresh Corn, Chicken Fajitas with Jalapeno Cheese Sauce, or Grilled Beef Fajitas with Guacamole and Hot Pico de Gallo. 

Makes about 10 6-inch fajita wraps

Ingredients

• olive oil, for oiling dish
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 chipotle chiles, finely chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chile powder
• sea salt
• 1-1/4 lbs trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, sliced vertically into thin strips
• 1 cup sliced green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced orange bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• warm, 6-inch flour tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Prepared Chicken Thighs

Fajita Vegetables

Prepared Vegetables

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously oil a 13 X 9-inch baking dish.
2. Combine the diced tomatoes, chipotle chiles, jalapeno, garlic, and chile powder in a bowl and season with salt.
3. Place the chicken, onion, all bell peppers, and oregano in the baking dish. Add the tomato mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes.

Chipotle Tomato Sauce

Ready for Sauce

Ready to Bake

Baked Chicken Mixture

Serve the fajitas with tortillas, sour cream, and cheese alongside.

Oven-Baked Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Easy Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad

I used to watch my mom make this many years ago, and I was amazed by how simple and easy something so delicious could be. The key ingredient? Pickle juice. No vinegar, just dill pickle juice straight from the jar.

Actually, mom used to make the dressing in the jar. When there were just enough pickles left for the salad, she’d remove those and pour out some of the juice, leaving just the amount she wanted for the dressing. Then she’d spoon the mayo, mustard, sugar, and seasonings into the jar with the juice, stir it all up, and there it was: the best macaroni salad dressing I’ve had to this day.

Over the years, I’ve made the salad dozens of times but have never measured the ingredients. Of course, I had to do measurements for this recipe, so if they seem a little peculiar, it’s simply because that’s what they turned out to be.

There aren’t many ingredients and they certainly aren’t fancy, but this may be one of the most scrumptious mac salads you’ve ever tasted. Thanks, mom.

Salad Ingredients

Makes 6-8 side portions

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp white sugar
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

• 6 oz dry macaroni (1-1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 small hardboiled eggs, finely chopped

Chopped Ingredients

Preparation

For the Dressing

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (or a pickle jar).

Ingredients Ready to Combine 

Mac Salad Dressing

For the Salad

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water until al dente, 7-8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Add the dressing to the salad, stirring well to combine.

Ready for Dressing 

Dressing Stirred In 

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Stir again before serving.

Easy Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Fried Egg

This simple any-night pasta dish is loaded with both nutrition and flavor. The highlights here are shrimp, spinach, and eggs—a little lemony sauce is all you need to brighten the flavor without making the dish overly saucy. Break that egg yolk on top and enjoy the extra creaminess it adds to finish the noodles just right.

Serves 4

Ingredients 

• 8 oz mini penne
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying eggs
• 1 lb peeled, deveined large shrimp (22–24 count)
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 6 cups baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach, coarsely chopped)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large eggs

Preparation

1. Cook the penne in salted, boiling water until al dente, 6-7 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp and shallot and sauté 3 minutes.
3. Add the spinach, chicken broth, and lemon zest and bring to a simmer, stirring until the spinach wilts, 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, lemon juice, and butter and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Shrimp Beginning to Cook

Spinach Mixture Added

Tomato Paste Mixture Added

1. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet and add oil to coat the bottom. Crack two eggs into the pan and fry until the eggs are set and beginning to crisp around the edges, turning once for over-easy. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining two eggs.
2. Add the drained pasta to the shrimp mixture and stir to combine. 

Eggs Ready to Turn

Pasta Added

Divide among 4 shallow bowls and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Fried Egg