Chipotle Chicken Casserole

Tried this one last night for the first time - thank you, Simply Recipes!  And it was a hit, even with the "less-than-comfortable with spicy food" daughters.  Served it with guacamole (no avocadoes were ripe), sour cream, and a generous bag of tortilla chips.  Left out the lime juice (made it too Tex-Mex flavored) and salt (didn't need it).

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup  of chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 3-inch wide pieces
• 4 ounces grated or sliced cheese (cheddar, monterey jack)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, chipotle peppers and adobo in a blender or food processor.  Pulse a few times so there are no more large chunks of anything, but not so much so that the salsa is completely smooth.
3. Place the chicken pieces in a casserole dish, just large enough to fit them all in a single layer.  Pour the chipotle salsa over the chicken pieces, turning the chicken pieces to coat them all over with the salsa.
4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Remove the cover, and sprinkle or layer the cheese over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes more.