I am in love with this Chipotle Lime Crusted Chicken recipe that I got from Hellman’s.  I have really enjoyed participating in Hellmann’s Chicken Change Up Promotion.  It really opened my eyes to a whole new set of recipes that I would not have been open to before this challenge.  I’ve learned that I am not the only one who dislikes mayo and that if you just don’t tell people you have put it in something you cooked, they would never know.  The same can not be said for uncooked items and I’ll tell you right now, if you ever try to sneak uncooked mayo in to something I’m eating to try to pull a fast one on me, you may end up black listed.  Like most of you, I struggle with getting a delicious, home cooked meal on table each night.  On top of that, I have dietary restrictions, picky eaters and budget constraints.  And I just get plain tired of the things that I make over and over.  By introducing Hellmann’s mayo into my ingredients list, I can now make a whole new range of recipes.  And all of them are available to you on the Hellmann’s Facebook page and it is a great resource for all your dinner dilemmas.

The recipe that stood out to me was Chipotle Lime Crusted Chicken.  Lime is one of my all-time favorite flavors and upon reading the recipe I saw that it also included crushed tortilla chips.  Yum!  The recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.  Super quick for baked chicken!  The secret is a high temperature for speedy cooking and the mayo for keeping it moist.  And with simple ingredients, these unfussy recipes should please even your pickiest eater.  I wanted to make this chicken for a small mid-week dinner party to test it out.

Wouldn’t you know, the morning that I planned to have friends over to test it, I woke up sick!  It took most of the day to get my energy up and by the time I was feeling well enough to get the house ready, it was almost time for the guests to show up.  It was the perfect scenario to see if this recipe really is as cook as they say it is.  Oh and I made a video (with A LOT of help from my husband – who thought I said “um” too much so he turned the sound off when I said it .  So if you want to skip to it, scroll down!

The ingredient list is short and the most exotic item with the ground chipotle pepper that I was able to find at Target.  I got out everything that I would need before I started the recipe which included crushing up some tortilla chips (super easy to do in a ziplock bag).  And the only reason I am using the “light” mayo is because I had finished the regular with the Tuna and Noodles and Mayo Cookies although I did not taste any difference between the two!

Prep Time:  10 minutes                 Cook Time:  20 minutes

1/2 cup Hellmann’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup crushed plain tortilla chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2.  Combine Hellmann’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice and ground chipotle in medium bowl.  Arrange chicken on baking sheet.  Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips.

3.  Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Mix up the mayo, the jack cheese, lime juice and chipotle pepper in a bowl.

Lay your chicken out on a cookie sheet or baking dish.  Evenly distribute the mayo mixture on all of the chicken.  There will be plenty.  I usually double chicken coating recipes but this is a very decent amount.

Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips on the chicken.  I would recommend doubling this!  It provided a nice crunch in the finished dish and I could have used more of it.  Bake for 20 minutes and then dazzle your guests!  It really was quick to put together although I found that I needed about 5 more minutes of cook time.

Because this was a weeknight dinner party, I wanted to keep the decor really simple.  I threw on a tablecloth (and may or may not have tried to iron it right on the table – I do not recommend it – and blew a fuse since our dining room wiring is wonky) added a simple white tray and grabbed empty jars from my party storage for the flowers ($3.99 from Trader Joes).  To add color, I used flagging tape in two colors from Home Depot to add bows and confetti.  I served a simple sangria (no recipe – just riesling, strawberries, plums and a splash of apricot nectar) to drink and kept it classy in simple wine glasses.

The chicken came out super moist while the crust stayed really crunchy.  The chipotle pepper added a little kick to the dish and the smokiness of the spice coupled with the creaminess of the jack cheese created a delicious ranch-like taste.

I served the chicken with some delicious side dishes.  This black bean salad can be made ahead and simply served straight from the fridge or at room temperature.  The roasted kale can be put in the oven, at the same temperature as the chicken, the last 8 minutes of cooking.  And of course I put out the mayo cookies.

Here is the video I made of preparing the meal and the dinner party.  Go easy on me.  This was my first edited video and it took a long time.  And a HUGE thank you to Lauren and Amanda as they had no idea, before they got here, that they were going to be in my video.

But here is sort of the coolest part.  Because I now know that cooking with mayo will help keep my chicken super moist but not require me to spend tons of time in the kitchen, my dinner possibilities are just about endless.  For this recipe I used lime, chipotle and tortilla chips, but next time I can keep the same method, but easily change up the flavors.  Check out the recipe for BBQ Cheddar Crusted chicken.  In fact, I think I am going to make this tonight.  I mean, I have mayo in the house for once.  I don’t want to let it go to waste!

Hellmann’s challenges you to add some of these recipes too.  By doing so, you can enter to win a $5,000 grocery store gift card! (Full rules available on Facebook).  Or just enter their daily giveaway for a $50 grocery card.  But don’t forget to check out all the recipes from the Chicken Change Up!

*Discolsure:  Hellmann’s product and additional incentives were provided to me.  All opinions stated are my own.  And I would like to add that I now, voluntarily, make these chicken recipes because they are so tasty.  I did not expect that!