Green Chili Rice Bake with Chicken

A few years back, we visited a friend in Arizona.  She made a delicious side dish that I kept thinking of weeks later.  So I contacted her for the recipe, and adapted it to. Are it a main dish, by adding chicken.  As most of my recipes are, it’s quick and easy!  Enjoy!!

Green Chili Rice Bake with Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine rice and remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup of the cheddar cheese for topping.
2. Transfer the rice mixture to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the reserved cup of cheddar cheese.
3. Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, if desired.

   

Poblano Chicken Rice Bowls

Typically this is not a recipe I would post in the middle of winter, but it was a Tuesday, and I was tired of just plain tacos.  Now, I love me some Chipotle, but the amount of sodium they use in their food, is enough to make me uncomfortable for days.  So I occasionally treat myself to a burrito bowl on a rare occasion. 

When I came across this recipe, I was like, seems like a Chipotle style meal.  Let’s give it a shot?

Poblano Chicken Rice Bowls

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced plus more for garnish
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 tomatoes, cored and diced
• 1 lime, halved
• taco seasoning
• kosher salt
• 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 3 cups cooked rice, heated
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
• Taco sauce, optional 

Taco seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the diced chicken and taco seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.
2. To make the pico de gallo: set 3 tablespoons of the diced onion aside and place it in a bowl with tomato, cilantro, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook until it starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Salt as needed. 
4. Add the remaining onion, poblano pepper and taco seasoning to the skillet and cook until it softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and corn. Cook 1 to 2 minutes then remove from heat.
5. Divide rice in 4 bowls, top with chicken, cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream.

Inspired by a recipe on Skinnytaste. 

Tortilla Coated Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about chicken enchiladas, but didn’t want the traditional style chicken filling in the tortilla....

Then it hit me.  Pound the chicken thin, and fill with cheese.....a low/no carb lovers dream....then I was like....coat the chicken with ground tortillas!!! (Cause I refuse to jump on the carb haters train!)

After deciding the ingredients that I wanted in the enchiladas.  I wrote them down, and emailed one of my “recipe reviewers” to which I was immediately met with, “there’s no amounts”. Ugh.  I was in phase one of the recipe, once that was understood, she asked when she could come over to help test.  So I placed it on the menu, and invited her over.  While I was making the recipe, she took notes for me, and of course offered suggestions. Here is what we came up with:

Tortilla Coated Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, pounded very thin
• 2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
• Dry enchilada seasoning (see below)
• 10 oz cotija cheese, grated
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (loosely packed)
• 1 (7oz can) diced green chilies, drained
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 28 oz enchilada sauce

ENCHILADA SEASONING:

• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried cumin powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Mix together dry enchilada seasoning, set aside.
2. In a food processor, finely grind tortilla chips. Toss ground chips with 2 tbsp dry enchilada seasoning in a shallow bowl.
3. Mix cream cheese with cilantro, green chilies, a few pinches of enchilada seasoning, cheddar cheese and 1/2 of the crumbled cotija. 
4. Place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and lightly pound chicken until very thin(1/4 inch). Place 1/4 of the cheese mixture on one end of the chicken breast. Roll up breast and coat with tortilla mixture. Continue with the remaining chicken breasts.
5. Place a light coating of enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 9x13 pan. Place the prepped chicken breast on the sauced pan and spoon a small amount of sauce on top of each breast. Top with cotija cheese. 
6. Bake in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. 
7. Serve with rice and beans, if you choose. 

   

Hatch Pepper Chile Verde Enchiladas

Recently, I was on a quick work trip to Spokane, Washington.  On the trip, one of my co-worker mentioned that he loves Salsa Verde, and it’s so easy to make.  He showed me bottle of salsa he uses, and said just chop up the pork and pour in the sauce.  My kind of dinner!!  However we don’t usually eat pork, so I looked at a few recipes,and was like…..I have hatch chilies in the freezer I need to use up!  So I melded a few recipes that inspired me, and made Salsa Verde, and Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas.

Instant Pot “Hatch” Chile Verde

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed

Olive oil

1/2 roasted hatch chiles (or one fresh jalapeño, stemmed), roughly chopped

2 cans tomatillos, drained

1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Press sauté, and allow the IP to warm up

2. Add onion and cook until tender.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant. 

3. Add chilies, stir

4. Add tomatillos, one at a time, squeezing each when you place in the pot. 

5. Add spices and stir.

6. Press, off. The press manual, and set the time for 15 minutes.

7. Allow NP release, remove lid

8. Using an emersion blender, purée sauce until smooth. 

9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Chile Verde Enchiladas

Ingredients

3 pounds ground chicken or your choice of meat, cooked (Pulled pork, shredded chicken, etc.)

salt and pepper, to taste

10 ounces Queso Fresco cheese

1 tub cream cheese (I used jalapeño)

1 cup shredded cheese

12 corn tortilla shells

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° 

2. Place meat, cream cheese and shredded cheese into a bowl.  Mix and ladle 1 scoop of the verde into the bowl.

3. Place a couple ladles of verde sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 11pan

4. Steam the tortillas, one at a time

5. Place a tablespoon or 2 of the filling mix on to a tortilla, and roll up.

6. Place enchilada onto the sauce in the pan.

7. Complete, until out of tortillas

8. Pour several ladles of sauce over enchiladas, and top with crumbled queso fresco. 

9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese in golden brown.

Chicken Avocado Burritos

So I had come across this post on Pinterest and was very interested in making these, but honestly I was thinking that Craig would totally not like them.  Much to my surprise, it is a Craig Approved recipe.  After posting the picture, I receive multiple requests for the recipe, so here is the variation on the recipe I made.

Chicken Avocado Burritos

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (2 chicken breasts)

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard,

1 Tablespoon olive oil)

1 cup grated cheese

2 avocado -diced

2 Tablespoons cilantro-chopped

3 T dried Chipotle chili

8 large tortillas

8 Tablespoon sour cream

1 Tablespoon oil

Instructions

1. Fill a pot with water, and add chicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until completely cooked.  When chicken is cooked, slice and spread mustard over the chicken, toss to coat, add about ¼ cup water.

2. Mix the chicken, cheese, cilantro, spices and the diced avocados.

3. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on each tortilla, add 1/8th of the mixture, form a roll. Finish all burritos.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil into a pan and place all four tortillas on the pan, cook for 2 minutes on medium- high heat. Flip on the other side and cook for another minutes or until the the tortillas are golden

5. Serve warm.

Grilled Quesadilla

A few years ago, Craig and I were in Phoenix catering our good friend Glenda’s landmark Birthday celebration.  It was a complete surprise to her when we showed up. While we were there, we stayed with her daughter’s (Kelly) family, which has a huge treat for us.  One night for dinner Kelly made us an amazing dish…Grilled Quesadilla!  I was so amazed, I shot a few pictures, planning to reproduce these when we got home.  

When the time came to make these, it was a team effort…Craig heated up the grill, charred the peppers, chicken and Jalapeño and when I got home from work, I chopped up the peppers, onion and diced the chicken.

Grilled Quesadilla

        8 tortillas
        4 cups Cheese (use a mixture of cheddar, hot pepper jack…or whatever you like!)
        15-20 small sweet peppers, grill then dice
        ½ Onion, grill, then slice
        1 Chicken breast, grilled and diced
        2 Jalapenos, grilled and diced
        *2 flat plates (use whatever you have, but Kelly used Corelle! And these worked GREAT!!!)

Grill all ingredients, Chicken peppers, onion and jalapenos.  Let cool, and dice all.

  

Gather all ingredients, and head to the grill.  

Place 2 tortillas on the preheated grill.  

Take a handful on cheese and evenly place over tortilla.  

Working quickly, sprinkle peppers, jalapenos, and chicken over cheese. 

Place another handful of cheese over the top, and cover with another tortilla. 

Keep an eye on the bottom tortilla, when it’s crispy, 

take a plate and scoop up the quesadilla, place another plate on top, then flip, and place the quesadilla back on the grill.  Grill the new bottom, until it matches the crispyness of the top, which will also allow for the melted cheese.  When ready, pull quesadillas, repeat as needed with additional tortillas. 

Cut into 6-8 pieces, and serve with salsa and sour cream. Perfectly easy to cut with a pizza cutter!!

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Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:  

• 8 tortillas
• 4 cups cheese (use a mixture of cheddar, hot pepper jack…or whatever you like!)
• 15-20 small sweet peppers, grill then dice
• ½ onion, grill, then slice
• 1 chicken breast, grilled and diced
• 2 jalapenos, grilled and diced

• 2 flat plates (use whatever you have, but Kelly used Corelle and these worked GREAT!!!)

Directions:

1. Preheat grill.
2. Grill chicken, peppers, onion and jalapeños. Let cool, and dice.
3. Place 2 tortillas on the grill.  
4. Working quickly, place a handful of cheese evenly over each tortilla. 
5. Then spread peppers, jalapeños, and chicken on top of the cheese.  
6. Next place another handful of cheese over the chicken and vegetables and cover with another tortilla.
7. Keep an eye on the bottom tortilla. When it appears crispy and the cheese has melted, slide the quesadilla onto a plate. Place a second plate on top of the quesadilla and flip. Slide the flipped quesadilla back on the grill. 
8. Grill the second side of the quesadilla until it matches the crispyness of the top. Slide the quesadilla back on to the plate.  
9. Use a pizza cutter to cut the quesadilla into 6-8 pie shaped pieces and serve with salsa and sour cream.