Two Ingredients Make One Delicious Taco Chicken Entree

Never underestimate the power of dry mixes and sauces. You can create a quick meal in 15-20 minutes with them and claim it’s homemade.

You know the section in the grocery store - the neatly arranged rows of envelopes containing seasonings and gravies.

Chili seasonings come in mild to “two-alarm” heats, use as little as four ingredients and simmer for as little as 10 minutes. Sloppy Joe seasonings are also quick with just a few ingredients, as are spaghetti sauce mixes.

While a regular meatloaf bakes in the oven for an hour, an envelope of meatloaf mix combines very nicely with ground beef for fast, flavorful hamburgers.

Those looking for variety in a pasta meal will find an abundance of mixes such as alfredo, pesto, garlic and herb, primavera and carbonara (Parmesan and blue cheeses with bacon).

Quick sauce blends for beef cuts include such fancier mixes as peppercorn and hunter (French brown sauce with mushrooms).

For chicken, there’s a variety of mixes that use boneless, skinless parts. Try the Chicken Dijon or Chicken Teriyaki.

Taco mixes may be your favorite. There are mild to hot taco seasonings, and even a lower-sodium version (regular mixes contain about 460 milligrams sodium per serving).

There are seasoning mixes for other Mexican foods, too: burritos, fajitas and enchiladas. Burritos use ground meat, and fajitas made with strips of skinless boneless chicken parts cook in about 15 minutes. Enchiladas take longer and bake in the oven.

“The 2 Ingredient Cookbook” by Adeline Rosemire includes several recipes using instant mixes as well as prepared sauces. Taco Chicken uses chicken and, you guessed it, an envelope of dry taco mix. Cooked in the microwave, it will be an enticing entree for your family.

Taco Chicken From “The 2 Ingredient Cook Book” by Adeline Rosemire (Meridian Publishing, Inc.)

1-1/2-2 pounds skinless chicken pieces

1 1-ounce envelope taco seasoning

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with taco seasoning.

Cover with wax paper and cook on HIGH for 8-12 minutes, giving the dish a 1/2 turn after 4 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes until done (meat next to the bone is no longer pink).

Yield: 4 servings.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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