Chicken Taco Cornbread Wedges with Ranchero Cilantro Drizzle

Dressing:
1/2 c ranch dressing
1/2 c salsa verde
1 c tightly packed cilantro leaves

Filling:
2 T olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped red bell pepper
1 T chopped jalapeno pepper
2 c shredded rotisserie chicken
3 T chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

Crust:
1 egg
1 7 oz package of cornbread mix
1/2 c milk
3/4 c crushed tortilla chips

Toppings:
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
3 c shredded romaine
1 c chopped tomatoes

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine ranch dressing, salsa and cilantro leaves in a blender.  Process until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate.

In 10 inch cast iron skillet heat oil.  Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper, cook 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.  Stir in chicken, 3 T cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin and tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet.  Wipe out skillet.  In large bowl, beat egg.  Add cornbread mix and milk.  Place tortilla chips in skillet.  Pour cornbread mixture over chips.  Spoon chicken mixture over cornbread mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 16-20 minutes.  Cut into wedges.  Drizzle with sauce.

This recipe is a great twist on a Mexican meets Southern meal.  It took every bit of 30 minutes to put together.  I used an entire (and large) jalapeno pepper, and it just gave a tiny bit of warmth to the dish, so don't be afraid to use it.  I also didn't use canned tomatoes.  It's summer time, and I am inundated with fresh tomatoes, so it seemed silly to use canned tomatoes.  Final confession:  I didn't make the dressing.  But I bet it would be really good.

This dish looks lovely.  The cast iron skillet makes a fun presentation.  The wedges come out nicely and are crispy on the bottom.  The cornbread crust fluffs up and envelopes the filling in a soft and almost sweet crust.  The bits of tortilla chips in the crust provides some texture and much needed salt.  This is a good dish, a fun dish, and lends itself to variations -- it would be good with ground beef, maybe add corn, or beans.  Nice addition to the repertoire.  Try it!