Name: Easy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
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Easy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Skip to contentJump to RecipeFor a family that enjoys Tex-Mex types of dishes, this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy and delicious dinner option. Also, it is a great dish for kids to learn to make.One of the most economical ways for us to do chicken is roasting up a whole one.&nbsp;While the boys will eat a fair share of roasted chicken these days, I always have some leftovers that I try to stretch over other meals.I had a hankering for something with a hint of Mexican flavors.&nbsp;So I came up with an easy Mexican Inspired Chicken and Rice casserole that has become a go-to easy dinner idea.Given my family’s preference, you could call it a Mexican Shredded Chicken and Rice casserole.There is something about how the shredded chicken is easier to spread evenly throughout the casserole that the boys like.When I first shared this recipe in 2012. there were a few things I’d do differently.&nbsp;I cooked the black beans in just water, but would probably add some garlic to them.&nbsp;I used a small jar of salsa and would have liked just a little more in the mix.Alternatively, a bit of taco seasoning would add a different flavor to the casserole.Finally, I would probably stir a little bit of the shredded cheese into the mix and top it with the rest.However, the family loved it just the way it was.I did end up making all of those changes and they now love it even more.So the recipe here has also been updated with many of the changes.I hope you and your family adore the dish as much as we do.Gathering Up Ingredients before starting makes for quick assembly.This includes cooking the different ingredients ahead of time.Then you can do the ‘dump, stir, and bake’ the recipe requires.Once everything is prepped and lined up, assemble the casserole layers.I don’t want to heat up the house, does this need to be baked in an oven? I can appreciate wanting to keep the house cooler when the days are warm.Thankfully, you can adapt this dish to a slow cooker. Just mix everything up and turn it on low for a few hours. I suggest adding extra liquid for this method of cooking so things do not dry out. What is the best rice to use? Any rice your family likes should work.My family likes white converted rice for many things.However, I have been able to use brown rice in this dish with no complaints. Do I need to use canned beans? No! I find my budget stretches further when I cook from dried beans. You can cook up a pound or two at a time.Measure out the amount you need for this recipe.Then bag and freeze the rest for future meals. I do not want to cook a whole chicken, what else can I do? In a pinch, you can use canned chicken. That option makes this recipe a great choice to have the kids help make dinner for the family.Alternatively, you can cook up your preferred cut of chicken to get the amount needed. Do I need to cook the chicken fresh for this dish? The short answer is no.I will usually roast 2 chickens at a time. Or, if I am purchasing rotisserie chickens at the warehouse store, I buy 2 at a time.The first dinner will be the roasted chicken with whatever side dishes strike our fancy. Then, I will pull enough of the remaining meat off to use in a dish like this casserole. Finally, the two chicken carcasses get boiled down for stock used for making a soup or stew. How can I quickly shred cooked chicken? For years, people would use two forks to shred meat. It doe the job, but takes a bit of time.When I purchased my Bosch mixer several years back, I learned a trick that has saved me time and frustration.I cook my chicken in a pressure cooker so it stays nice and juicy.Below you can see what the finished chicken looks like. When you pressure cook, you do not lose liquids.I then put the whisks into my Bosch mixer, add the cooked chicken, and pulse it a few times to shred the meat. Watch the video below to see how easy it is!Here is the final casserole with oodles of bubbly cheese on top.In the recipe, I’m giving ranges.&nbsp;I used the upper end of the range and we had enough for two dinners with salad to round out the meals.&nbsp;You could always mix up everything, bake half that night and put use the rest for a freezer meal in an aluminum pan.&nbsp;The baking time would be longer for the frozen one.TAKE CHARGE OF MEALTIMEMeal planning can be a daunting task, but with the Weekly Meal Planner, it’s a breeze!It comes with a list of meal ideas to help you plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week ahead. Plus, there’s space to write down your shopping list, so you can make sure you have everything you need.The planner is the perfect way to make meal planning easy and fun!Hot Dog Casserole: Easy to Make &amp; Kid FriendlyHerb-Roasted Chicken with Red Potatoes &amp; KaleChicken Lo MeinCrock Pot Red Beans and Rice ~ Family Favorite RecipeChicken Cacciatore Made Easy with RAGU Homestyle SauceQuick Dinner Solutions: Creamy Chicken and Broccoli AlfredoContinue to ContentEasy to prepare and a great way to use up leftover chicken, this Mexican inspired casserole is a family favorite.If you do not already have items pre-cooked, cook them (chicken, rice and beans) now.Mix together the chicken, black beans, rice, salsa and corn.Pour into a baking pan and top with the shredded cheese.Bake at 325 to 350 degrees until bubbly and you can smell the flavors melding. (20 to 30 minutes)If you want to have a stronger, more taco-like flavor, then add 1 to 2 Tbsp of your favorite taco seasoning.For extra flavor and a bit of heat, add diced jalapenos.As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.&nbsp;How do you use leftover chicken in your house?Would this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole be something the family would enjoy?This post was originally published on February 15, 2012 and has been updated including the recipe.This looks delicious! We love a good chicken and rice casserole around here!Replywhat an awesome dish to tryReplyThis looks so easy that my teen daughter could do it!!!!!!ReplyThis recipe looks easy enough for me to make with one substitution. I cannot have rice so I would make it with quinoa that I can eat. I love Mexican food and chicken, too. Perfect to put in next week’s menu plan!ReplyPingback: Top 10 Recipe Posts of 2013 - Day By Day in Our WorldI luv mexican food. This looks easy enough for me to make 🙂ReplyThis site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.I'm a mother to 4 boys who I have been homeschooling since 2006. Three have graduated and one is still home.Like many other parents, we have a busy life. My hope is that this site will help you in some way in your own family's journey.Learn more about me and our family.Skip to RecipeThis site uses cookies to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. This message is to comply with the EU law. more information The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.Close

Skip to contentJump to RecipeFor a family that enjoys Tex-Mex types of dishes, this Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy and delicious dinner option. Also, it is a great dish for kids to learn to make.One of the most economical ways for us to do chicken is roasting up a whole one.&nbsp;While the boys will eat a fair share of roasted chicken these days, I always have some leftovers that I try to stretch over other meals.I had a hankering for something with a hint of Mexican flavors.&nbsp;So I came up with an easy Mexican Inspired Chicken and Rice casserole that has become a go-to...

Easy Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

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