Chile Chicken and Bubbling Cheese
Think reverse nachos—but better.
This recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Fast is a little like nachos only in reverse: You use chips or warm tortillas to scoop through the cheese and get to the toppings. Or if you plan ahead a little, you can spoon all the gooey goodness over rice or baked potatoes (if you have some extra time—or leftovers).
Chile Chicken and Bubbling Cheese
Think reverse nachos—but better.
Mark Bittman
Heat the oven to 450F. Add oil to a large Enameled Cast Iron Skillet or ovenproof pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken to the Skillet while it heats. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the onion.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken browns in places and the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir.
When the chicken and onions are ready, spoon off all but 2 Tbsp. fat. Add the chiles and tomatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle in 2 tsp. ground cumin and a little more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are soft and the tomatoes release some juice, 3–5 minutes.
Taste the chile-chicken mixture and adjust the seasoning. Scatter the cheese on top and transfer the Skillet to the oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 5–10 minutes.
Remove the Skillet from the oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve with chips or tortillas and lime wedges.
Mark Bittman is the author of more than 30 acclaimed books, including the How to Cook Everything series and the #1 New York Times bestseller VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. Over his long career at The New York Times, Bittman wrote for both the food and opinion pages, and was the lead Magazine food writer. He has received six James Beard Awards, four IACP Awards, and numerous other honors. Together with daughter Kate Bittman, he has hosted the podcast Food with Mark Bittman since 2021.
Bittman is currently special advisor on food policy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where he teaches and hosts a lecture series. His most recent books beyond the How to Cook Everything Series are How to Eat; Animal, Vegetable, Junk; and Bittman Bread. If you're hungry for more from Mark, catch him at The Bittman Project.
