Mexican Chicken Casserole

Phew- I lucked out on this one. I had to guess on one of the ingredients, but thankfully this guess did not end up like the spicy shrimp incident. I was really confused by what the original recipe meant by “2 cans taco sauce.” Well, I couldn’t find any cans of taco sauce. I did find jars of taco sauce that are slightly bigger than the suggested size, and it worked great. I note the amount you should use for jars below.

Between the chicken, the cheese and the beans, this meal is packed with protein. 29 g of protein per serving actually. That’s why I’m submitting it to Eat Healthy- Protein Rich. Try it out for a super filling, tasty, and kind of impressive looking, weeknight meal.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Served 4

¾ cup short grain rice (used sushi rice)

10 oz can red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

3 ½ TBSP chopped, fresh cilantro

1 TBSP oil

4 chicken cutlets

1 8oz jar taco sauce

2 cups grated cheddar

½ cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 8 ½ inch round (about 2 ¾ inch deep) casserole dish (I used a slightly smaller rectangle for 3). Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain

2. In the prepared dish, combine the beans and cilantro, then add the rice and toss together. Lightly press the mixture so that it is flat.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken 2 minutes, then turn and sauté another minute. Add the sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. To assemble, spread ½ the cheese over the rice. Arrange the chicken and sauce on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove foil and bake for another 5. Cut into 4 servings and carefully scoop out, keeping layers intact. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.