Mexican Chicken Bake and Freezer Assets

With leftover chicken and a few pantry and freezer assets, I made a pan full of yum for the family.  This recipe was enough for our family of four….twice, plus two more servings of leftovers.

Mexican Chicken Bake

Mexican Chicken Bake

2 cups cooked rice (brown or white)

1 lb cooked chicken (can leave out for vegetarian)

2 regular cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 regular can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn

1-2 cups diced peppers (your choice of color, we had red and yellow)

1 Tbsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

Spread the rice in the bottom of a 13×9″ greased baking dish.  Mix all other ingredients (except cheese) in a bowl, then pour over rice.  Cover.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and top with cheese, return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

We had leftover baked chicken so I used that.  I did need to make rice, but I made a whole pot full and froze the rest in 2-3 cup portions for future recipes.  I have done this with beans also, but this time I used the canned.  The peppers I had in the freezer, I buy a lot of them when they are plentiful in the summer and slice them for Fajitas before freezing.  It was no trouble to slice them crosswise to be diced for this recipe. (Here are some options of containers for your freezer assets….these are affiliate links, no extra charge for you, but it helps pay for this blog, thanks!)

The family reviews?  Over all they liked it.  Ray doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes, so I’ll choose a smaller dice of tomato, or maybe try crushed instead.  It was good reheated, both via oven and microwave.  It could use some extra moisture and flavor when reheated, so taco sauce or salsa would be nice.  We also served this with chips the second time, which greatly elevated the meal in the eyes of the Sunbeams.  🙂

 

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