Southwest Chicken & Rice Casserole

"A hearty comfort-food dinner with a little zing. If you like more heat in yours, use pepper-jack cheese instead of regular monterey jack cheese. Cuts into nice square servings. Serve with a green salad and dinner's complete!"
 
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photo by Pam-I-Am photo by Pam-I-Am
photo by Pam-I-Am
photo by Pam-I-Am photo by Pam-I-Am
Ready In:
1hr 10mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 2 quart or 8x8 casserole dish.
  • Prepare rice as directed to make 2 cups of cooked rice.
  • Saute 2 chicken breasts in a shallow pan using olive oil, salt and pepper until done. Chop chicken breasts into bite size pieces.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into greased (or sprayed) casserole dish.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

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Reviews

  1. This is such a delicious and different casserole! I loved how it wasn't like any other casserole I have ever had. It comes out spicy, creamy, and cheesy! We ate it all up fast. Thanks!
     
  2. This was so much better than I had expected. I'm so used to casseroles containing rice to either be dry or have that "canned soup" texture and taste. This was creamy, light and moist.I did make a couple changes based on what I had on hand. I used leftover bbq shredded chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup of milk with 2T of Greek yogurt added, 4 large green onions, and added some chili powder and oregano. I loved everything about it and look forward to making it again with other add-ins. Thanks for posting the recipe and sharing this technique for making a great rice casserole.
     
  3. Good and I used the leftovers in quesidillas.
     
  4. Boy, was this good! I had to use the dried cilantro, canned diced jalapenos and added pinto beans and it was delicious. I also used brown rice to make it a little healthier. It makes alot for 2 people so we'll be eating the leftovers this weekend and freezing some. I'm gonna add salsa to the top like Amanda's Pantry! review suggested.
     
  5. I halved the recipe and saved a serving to take to work. It was yummy with just enough zing to make it interesting! I topped it with some salsa and we were good to go!
     
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Tweaks

  1. This is the perfect recipe for left over rice! I had a make your own tacos and burritos dinner party on the weekend and I had a ton of spanish rice left over, so I used the leftover spanish rice in this recipe. I also had a bunch of the Kraft Tex Mex blend cheese so I put about a half cup in the actual casserole and about 1 cup on the top for extra cheesy goodness. :) I omitted the cilantro because I don't like it, and it didn't need the cumin because of all the spices in the rice. I also substituted half and half instead of evaporated milk, because I didn't have any. Oh, and instead of cooking the chicken first, I just cut the raw chicken into bite size pieces and put in the the casserole as is - it cooked PERFECTLY and was not dry.
     
  2. I guess I made this last year and never reviewed it, so thinking I never tried it, I made it again last night. (get all that?) I made a couple changes, using mild green chilies instead of jalapeno, and I also added a bit of shredded cheddar in addition to the Monty Jack.We all liked it - again. Thanks!
     

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