Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
Try this Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- cilantro for garnish
- 3 cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 2 cups dry basmati rice
- 2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce (i used old el paso)
- 1 can (16 oz) refried beans (i used old el paso)
- 1 cup white cheddar shredded
- 1 can (11 oz) corn kernel
- Carbohydrate 0.207566666666667 g
- Cholesterol 56.2275 mg
- Fat 7.98831666666667 g
- Fiber 0.00933333317438761 g
- Protein 18.38325 g
- Saturated Fat 4.51777 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (64g)
- Sodium 162.330166666667 mg
- Sugar 0.198233333492279 g
- Trans Fat 0.5706725 g
- Calories 150 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the rice. I cooked it with 4 cups of water and ¼ cup of butter.
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Mix the 2 cheeses together.
- In a large bowl mix the shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce, refried beans and half of the cheese. Add rice, season with salt and pepper if needed, and mix well. Pour rice mixture into a large casserole dish. Top with corn then with remainder of cheese.
- Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm.
Melted white cheddar and Monterey Jack form a bubbling, golden crust over tender shredded chicken and spiced rice. Successful execution relies heavily on rice preparation. Cook the dry basmati rice grains in four cups of water combined with one-quarter cup of butter before assembling the dish. This specific fat ratio coats the starches and prevents the grains from turning mushy when mixed with canned enchilada sauce and refried beans.
Thermal Control and Assembly
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the chicken, sauce, beans, half the cheese, and cooked rice directly in a large bowl to ensure even distribution before transferring the contents to a casserole dish. Layer the corn kernels on top of the rice mixture, then blanket everything with the remaining cheese. Bake the dish uncovered for twenty to thirty minutes. Watch for visible bubbling at the edges and complete surface melting of the dairy.
- If the center remains cool after thirty minutes, cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam without burning the top cheese layer.
- Drain canned corn thoroughly through a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate excess moisture that might otherwise make the rice soggy.
- Shred block cheese manually rather than using pre-bagged varieties to avoid anti-caking agents that disrupt smooth melting.
