Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

by HowSweetEats 

4.19 Mitt(s)21 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 

This is an easy recipe and most ingredients are on hand! And for someone that doesn't do leftovers this one was good the next day! 

A quick, easy and healthy casserole to throw together when you’re pressed for time!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

To make this process easier, I always have cooked chicken on hand, and use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. If you have those two things, this can be throw together in a matter of minutes! It can also easily be made ahead of time and reheated.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 4 cups Cooked Brown Rice
• ¾ cups Frozen Corn
• 15 ounces, fluid Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
• 4 ounces, fluid Can Green Chilis
• ½ cups Salsa
• 1 cup Low-fat Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro For Garnish

My Brothers Chicken Tacos

So I'm always looking for a way to mix up salads. I just made the chicken from this recipe and  topped it on top of a green salad with black beans, corn, and little ranch. We loved it! I'm sure the tacos are amazing though.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 30 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Intermediate  |  Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 16 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Pieces
• Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder To Taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• 1-1/2 cup Finely Grated Cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
• Sour Cream
• Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
• 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos

Preparation Instructions

*Be careful frying with hot oil!*

Season diced chicken liberally. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Dump in the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until chicken is totally done inside. Turn off heat and set aside.

Have all other ingredients---grated cheese, sliced lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce---ready.

Also have a plate ready, as well as a stack of five or six paper towels to hold in your hand.

TO FRY

To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place some chicken in the middle of a tortilla, then fold tortilla in half. Clamp the tortilla shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs, then carefully lay the taco---one side down---in the oil. As you lay it in the oil, use the tongs to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. Once it stays put, repeat with two other tacos. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)

One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.

As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve---the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.

To serve, garnish in this order: a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomato. You'll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.

Tacos will be hot for a minute or two after frying, so don't rush into eating! They'll stay nice and warm for a little while after frying.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella

We just ate this and here I am- already posting it. It's really, really good and a surprisingly fast meal to prepare. I halved the recipe for our family of 5 and it was perfect with one serving of leftovers. I made a few changes from the the original recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe .

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

*Note: See the asterisk below the recipe for make-ahead directions.

*Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded (I used regular mozzarella b/c smoked is pricey)
8 ounce jar roasted red peppers, chopped (Mel used sun-dried tomatoes but I don't really like them)
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.
Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and (smoked) mozzarella.
Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Vegetable Lasagna...in a crock pot!

This meal was so good that I wanted to stop mid-meal and post it.  But, I couldn't pull myself away from the plate.  And, who doesn't love a crock pot meal?  So easy.  We loved it.

courtesy google images

Vegetable Lasagna

Adapted from Eatingwell.com

1 large egg

1 15-oz. container cottage cheese (or ricotta, if you prefer)

1 5-oz. package baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 28-oz. diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt, Pepper as desired

1 Tbs. dried basil

1/2 Tbs. dried oregano

Garlic Salt, as desired

3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

Favorite Pkg. of Noodles (I used penne)

Combine egg, cottage cheese, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, salt, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Combine tomatoes, and all remaining spices and minced garlic in medium sized bowl.    Coat your crock pot with cooking spray.  Pour 1 1/2 cups of tomato mixture in bottom, followed by half of cottage cheese mixture, then another 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce, half of the package of noodles, and then 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella.  Repeat all previous layers.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, mixing entire meal together HALFWAY through to allow all noodles to cook evenly.  Enjoy!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Made this for dinner tonight and we all loved this meal...it was seriously delicious.

courtesy

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Don't buy another ice cream sandwich again...this one is absolute perfection.  Its absolutely delicious and very easy to make.  After my kids ate these for the first time they said, "this is my new favorite thing to eat" and "these are better than the ones you buy at the store" (note to Blue Bell).  My friend, Amy Foulger, made these for us after Tessa's surgery and I've made three batches since.  So good.

courtesy

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Amy Foulger via Martha Stewart

1 stick unsalted butter, melted (plus more for pan)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 pints ice cream, softened (mint oreo is our favorite)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 10X15 pan (or double recipe and use a regular cookie sheet instead) and line with parchment paper so there is an overhang on the short sides.  Butter paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and sugar, then whisk in eggs and salt.  Add flour and cocoa and mix until just smooth.  Spread in pan.  Bake until brownie is dry to the touch and edges start to pull away from the pan, 10-12 minutes (mine took more like 20 min.).  Let cool 5 minutes.  Using paper overhang, transfer brownies to a wire rack and let cool completely.  

Transfer brownie to a work surface and cut in half crosswise.  Place both halves on plastic wrap.  Slice and spread ice cream onto one of the halves.  Once evenly spread, invert the other brownie half on top and wrap with plastic wrap.  Freeze for two hours, or overnight.  Enjoy!

Busy Night Marinara

I made this last night for dinner and it was delish!  It tasted so fresh and natural and perfect on a bed of angel hair pasta.  My kids ate seconds and the adults ate thirds... a good sign.  You can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, although I find that cherry tomatoes are the best.

courtesy

Busy Night Marinara

Adapated from Mmm....is for Mommy

2 Tbs. Olive oil

1 small onion, diced small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint (or any fresh tomato you have in the fridge)

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (or omit the fresh tomatoes and use 2 cans total)

1 tsp. honey

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup chopped (not packed) fresh basil leaves, or a good handful

Warm oil in pan over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute together for another minute or two.   Add the tomatoes to the pan.  Once they heat through and begin to soften, mash the tomatoes in the pan with a potato masher.  Add the honey and s&p to the pan, stir and let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (most of the juices will evaporate and the sauce will thicken).  Remove from heat and add basil.  Stir together to combine.  Serve over pasta.