I brought this piping hot casserole to the dinner table with some warmed tortilla chips and big bowls of our favorite salsa and some freshly made guacamole with a little squeeze of lime over the top and we dug in! This casserole is totally going to replace taco night at our house. It was much less work and more filling with bigger flavors.
I haven’t tried it yet, but the next time I make it, I plan to shred the chicken when it comes out of the oven and spoon the whole mix over tortilla chips. With some guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and black olives, I think we could have some truly phenomenal nachos. Or maybe wrapped in tortillas with some spiced black beans for burritos! There are so many possibilities for this recipe and I can’t wait to try them all.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 large Tyson Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut lengthwise
1 oz. package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning mix
1 15 oz. jar Tostino’s Salsa con Queso
¾ cups Land O Lakes Half and Half
1 4.5 oz. can Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 ½ cups Minute white rice, cooked
1 cup Kraft Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning mix. Cook chicken in oil 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. The chicken doesn’t need to be completely done at this point.
Stir together salsa con queso, half-and-half and chopped green chiles; stir in bell pepper. Reserve one-fourth of the sauce mixture. Stir rice into remaining sauce mixture.
Place rice mixture in casserole and top with chicken. Top with reserved sauce mixture, then shredded cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes longer until chicken is completely done.
Cool 10 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes and cilantro.
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Quick Tip: For a slightly healthier and heartier version, you can replace the white rice with brown rice.
Thanks goes to Betty Crocker for this real crowd pleaser!
