Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake

Two exciting things have happened since I posted last- I turned 30, and I got a new nephew! :) His name is Teagan, and he's a little cutie!! He missed my birthday by just one day. Last weekend we made the 4.5 hour trip to meet him (and visit family). Right now I'm working on helping my oldest recover from a sickness, homeschooling, and preparing for a trip to California in 1 1/2 weeks!

This recipe is one I found online (from here). It was as good as I hoped it would be! I've made it a few times now. It's healthy & filling, and delicious! It has the taste of enchiladas but is quicker to throw together.

You can make this recipe ahead of time and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it, just add 10 or so minutes to the cooking time. I'm also testing to see if it works as a freezer recipe- I think it'll work, my only hesitation is that it has sour cream in it (which supposedly doesn't freeze well). I'll be sure to update here once I know!

*The original recipe calls for you to layer these ingredients, but I have since found that I prefer to mix everything together instead. It's your call.

First two layers- brown rice & black beans


With the next two layers- the chicken/sauce mixture and grated cheese


Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake
Printable version here

1 1/2 cups dry rice (10.5 oz), cooked (equals about 4 1/2 cups cooked)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (2 medium chicken breasts)
1 (15-oz.) can mild green enchilada sauce
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, slightly drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp. table salt)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish (or two 8x8 or 9x9 inch dishes).

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (using 1 cup of the cheese and setting aside the other cup).  Pour into baking dish, and then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

3. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Yield: 1 8-serving casserole dish, or 2 4-serving smaller dishes

*Rice: I use this baked brown rice in this recipe.

Recipe source: picky-palate.com

Why I love it? It is pretty easy to prepare, and a lot of the prep work can be done ahead of time. You can fully make the casserole beforehand, or just get the ingredients ready (like cook the chicken and rice, and grate the cheese). I love the flavor of it, too, and it's not too spicy for the kids. I'm sure you could change up the ingredients a little if you wanted- like adding corn or sliced olives. I like this just how it's written! :)