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Cheesy Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole

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Perfect for a big family dinner, this cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole - @Sweetphi

I come from a big family – a family of 6, so dinnertime and family dinners have always held a special place in my heart. Even though I am only cooking for my hubby and I now, I still like to make one or two family-style dishes and then portion them off for us for dinners/lunches throughout the week, and that is exactly what I did with this cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole.Homemade enchilada sauce recipe @Sweetphi

This past weekend I harvested my garden- lots of tomatoes and peppers-and when I was thinking of what to do with them, homemade enchilada sauce came to mind.  So I made a batch – the colors were so gorgeous! As I was finishing up the sauce – literally – as it was sitting on the counter to cool, we got our Saturday mail, and in it was an advance copy of my friend Mary’s new cookbook. The cookbook officially releases August 16th, but you can pre-order a copy here (it’s on sale for HALF the price).

Cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole for family dinner- @Sweetphi

If you follow me on SnapChat (username: SweetPhi) you saw me paging through the cookook saying how pretty it was and making the enchilada sauce this weekend. I actually ‘met’ Mary on Snapchat, and love that we now interact and can cheer each-other on as we release our cookbooks (my cookbook came out a month ago and she shared the recipe for cheesy bacon tater tots on her blog). As I was paging through her cookbook, the recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Skillet caught my eye, and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I made it right away.

Cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole for family dinner- @Sweetphi

Yum for days to come, because this makes a big pot full!

Cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole for family dinner- @Sweetphi

If you’re cooking for a smaller household, you can definitely half the recipe. And, if you’re really short on time, you could use 90 second microwaveable rice (I’ve even seen 90 second Mexican or Spanish rice that would work really well in this dish).

Next time you’re in need of a family style meal, I’d definitely recommend making this cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole.

Yield: 6-10

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 teaspoons Mexican seasoning mix (or taco seasoning) divided
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup) chopped
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup green chile enchilada sauce or salsa verde
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, if needed
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Combine the rice, chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of the spice mix in a small saucepan over high heat. When the broth boils reduce heat to a low simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender. Uncover, test the rice for doneness and fluff with a fork.
  • While the rice is cooking, prep the peppers, onions and chicken. Warm the oil in a dutch oven or very large pot over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and stir to coat. Allow them to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken to the skillet, sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons spice mix and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.
  • Add the beans, green chiles, sour cream and green chile sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a low simmer. Add the cooked rice, stir again, taste and adjust the salt as desired. Sprinkle generously with the cheese. Cover with a lid and remove from the heat to allow the cheese to melt, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.

    • Notes

    To reduce the prep time, you could use par-boiled white rice or 90 second microwaveable rice.
    This dish definitely is a big family portion, you could easily halve the recipe.
    Depending on the saltiness of the chicken broth and taco seasoning you use, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt, after tasting the final recipe, before adding the cheese.

    © Sweetphi

    Recipe slightly adapted from The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook

    Family meal favorite - cheesy chicken and rice enchilada casserole

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. This looks perfect for when our friends are visiting Labor Day weekend! Could I make this is the crockpot? I’m all for easy meals that allow more time to socialize! It looks delish!

      Reply

    3. Making this when my sister and her family come to visit in 2 weeks. This is the type of meal everyone will like. So nice of you to talk about Mary’s book, looks like a good one, will check out her blog.

      Reply

      • I love dishes like this too – we’ve (my hubby and I) have been having it for lunch all week and it’s been so amazing to have lunch all ready to go 🙂

        Reply

    6. Phi, this looks easy peasy and delicious! You can also use “planned over” (leftover) chicken or rotisserie chicken. I think you would then need to add the chicken at the very end so it would just get warmed, not overcooked. What do you think?

      Reply

    7. Mmm I’m pretty sure Dave would go nuts for this. He’s a huge fan of your’s especially after I made him your chorizo potato hash, hehe. Looks like comfort food to me! Great post 🙂

      Reply

      • This is totally comfort food, and that makes me so happy to hear Dave loved the chorizo hash from my cookbook – I’m going to go home and tell my hubby that (he helped with that recipe and I know he’d be very happy to hear that.)

        Reply

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