Chicken and Artichoke Ole

This is a recipe that everyone seems to really like. I hope you do, too.

Chicken and Artichoke Ole

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 (14oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) can of salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced black olives. drained
1 c. shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Next brown the chicken in olive oil in a large skillet over meduim-high heat. Remove chicken from skillet and place in an 11 X 7 inch greased baking dish. Top chicken with artichoke hearts. Stir together in a bowl the soup, salsa, cumin, garlic, green chiles and black olives. Pour sauce over the chicken and artichoke hearts. Bake, covered in a 325 F oven for 2 to 3 hours. The last 5-10 minutes of baking, uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!!

Your recipe sounds fantastic, but is there really a need to bake this 2-3 hours, especially after browning it first? I would think that at 350-degrees for an hour, would be sufficient.

:rolleyes:Cooking times do vary by food items, but boneless, chicken breasts are generally less than a lb. a piece. Seems like over-kill to me, and a waste of electricity. I could understand the time if the recipe was for a crockpot, but not an oven.:confused: