Southwest Chicken & Rice Casserole

Pam-I-Am's Note:

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!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped (medium size)
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red onions, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons jalapenos, seeded and diced

Directions:

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

Reviews

[JuliJ]

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!

[Lucky in Bayview]

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.

[jane49423]

Good and I used the leftovers in quesidillas.