This is a recipe to look forward to eating and it will allow you to show off your culinary skills to your friends. Do you know someone that has dietary restrictions such as dairy or gluten? You can easily make minor substitutions to a few ingredients without devaluing the flavor or satisfaction of this dish so it works for anyone.

Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Follow these steps to make your Mexican Chicken Burrito Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add chicken to a greased 9×13 baking dish.
2. Add in diced bell peppers.
3. Add the uncooked rice.
4. Sprinkle in the fajita seasoning and cayenne pepper.
5. Add the diced onions.
6. In a separate bowl whisk together the chicken broth, green chilies, tomato paste, and olive oil. Add the broth mixture to the baking dish and stir to combine with the rice mixture.
7. Add the corn.
8. Add the black beans.
9. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 65-70 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
10. Remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle evenly with grated cheese. Return baking dish to oven for 5-10 additional minutes until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

The slide show below shows each step as the burrito casserole is assembled for baking.

Easy Chicken Burrito Casserole

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:Mexican Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This recipe by Haute and Healthy Living is a casserole dish that incorporates all the common and popular ingredients of Mexican food, such as seasonings, rice, chicken, some spices. It is easy because it is done using one dish, which is thrown into the oven to cook.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced, for flavor
• 1 red bell pepper, diced, adds a nice color.
• 1 cup uncooked parboiled long-grain brown rice (can also use long-grain white rice)
• 3 Tbsp fajita seasoning, either homemade or store-bought fajita seasoning mix will do!
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup corn, frozen
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups shredded chicken (we used canned chicken, 3 cans, to save on price)
• 3 cups chicken broth, important for the rice
• 1 (4 oz) can mild green chilies, will give this easy burrito casserole Southwestern flavor.
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, just use a little to help prevent the rice from sticking together.
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste, full of rich flavor, tomato paste helps to give more flavor to the rice.
• 1 1/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, over the top for a perfect cheesy crust.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth, green chiles, tomato paste, and olive oil until well combined.
3. Add onion, bell pepper, uncooked rice, fajita seasoning, cayenne (if using), shredded chicken, black beans, and corn to the baking dish.
4. Add the broth mixture to the baking dish and stir to combine with the rice mixture. Give it an additional stir until well combined.
5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and then transfer to the oven to bake for 65-70 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
6. Once complete, remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the aluminum foil, and sprinkle evenly with grated cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven for a final 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and is slightly golden.
7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, green onion, salsa, and avocado, if desired.

Notes

• For faster baking time: cook the rice partially or fully before adding to the pan.
• Alternatively, you can cook in a crockpot, by placing all the ingredients from step 3 in a crockpot.

Keywords:budget-friendly, casserole dinner, easy dinner, gluten-free, Mexican