When I was in high school, I had two best friends, both named Heather (they went by their last names to distinguish them which I of course won't say).
They introduced me to this dish and we would make it any chance we got whenever we had sleepovers at each others' houses. It was our thing and it made us really happy to make together. So many of my happiest memories from high school were hanging out with them, cooking this meal, and eating big heaping bowls of it all weekend while we watched movies, listened to metal and emo, and watched stupid videos online like Strongbad and Ebaum's world (lol aging myself).
One of the Heathers died a few years ago by tragic circumstances. At that time, we had grown apart, as friends often do when you grow up. It had been a few years since we chatted, but I still think about her all the time. She left such a lasting impression on me. She was the funniest person I have ever met. Truly the type of person who could charm anyone and make them laugh. She was also very soulful and I could have nice long chats with her about anything.
Anyways, I am sharing our recipe so that you can make it too. <3 I make it at least once a year to remember her, and I know it always made her happy when other people would try it and it became a comfort food for them too.
4-5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 bell peppers (get creative with colors)
1-2 onions (depending on size)
5-6 packets of powdered brown gravy
1. Boil the 3 cups of rice. This should be cooking during the whole preparation process.
2. Cube the chicken into bite size pieces. Cut away the fat.
4. Dice the green peppers.
5. Pour about 2 tbl spoons of vegetable oil at the bottom of a large pot. Turn the heat on medium.
6. Saute the onions. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions turn transparent.
7. Add the green peppers. These will not need as long to cook. Maybe about 3 minutes.
8. Add the chicken. Cook until white.
9. During this time, make the gravy in a separate bowl according to the instructions on the back of the package. Usually this consist of adding 1 cup of cold water for every packet you have. I usually stir this with a whisk because the powder gets very chunky.
10. Add the gravy mix to the pot. Bring the entire mix to a boil.
11. Once the mixture is boiling, add the jalapenos. This all depends on how hot you want the dish. I usually add about 1/3 of a normal sized jar. Turn down the heat and cover.
11. Simmer for 10 minutes.
12. Serve on top of white rice.
Notes: I usually buy a big pack of breasts and use the upper limits on this (6 packets, large onion, 2 peppers). The jalapenos will lose heat in the fridge as leftovers so if it's too hot you'll know the next day it should be better. And vice versa if it's not hot enough the next day add more jalapenos during reheating.
