Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Quick and easy Mexican chicken and rice casserole is a great weeknight family dinner recipe and is perfect served with creamy guacamole and salsa.

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Warning: In this post I will be talking about real life stuff so if you are only after the Mexican chicken casserole recipe, proceed to scroll through all the rambly stuff. 

So, my life has been pretty hectic at the moment. Not only was it my 29th birthday yesterday (LAST YEAR OF TWENTY’S YO!), but a few weeks ago we put in an offer to purchase our very first home and it was accepted. Things are happening so quickly now and we are planning to move into said home by mid-to-end July. *enter nervous, hysteric giggles* Of course I am absolutely ecstatic but you guys. I’m a grown up now. Like proper adult. And I’m not sure I am ready for what I’ve just signed up for. And yes, I know everyone feels like this about buying their first home but I feel a  little overwhelmed by it all. All of a sudden we are buying furniture and appliances and talking about re-doing the floors but can we re-do the floors if the kitchen wall hasn’t been knocked out yet and OH MY WORD!!! Can you tell I’m freaking out?

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

I am loving choosing colour palettes and deciding on the fabric for our re-upholstered chairs but all this other stuff is making me feel like a child in the grown-ups’ conversation. What even is an electrical certificate? (jokes, of course I know…now.) If it wasn’t for my superhero husband, you would be finding me under a blanket sucking my thumb right about now. But I know, this too shall pass and before I know it I will be moving into my lovely home with my lovely family and everything will be just lovely. But until then, expect a lot of freaked-out-ness whenever you see me.

I blame this freaked-out-ness (that’s a word now) for all the comfort food I’ve been stuffing in my face over the last two weeks. If it has cheese on it, pass me a plate! This easy and deeelicious Mexican chicken and rice casserole came about last week and it’s safe to say I have found my new fall-back dinner recipe. This is perfect if you have left-over chicken and rice in the fridge and don’t know how to jazz it up.

Mix in a ton of sauteed vegetables (whatever you have, really), add some canned tomatoes and cheese and shove it in the oven. 20 minutes later you have this glorious, golden bake. Serve it with a dollop of guacamole and maybe a cheeky spoonful of sour cream and you’re sorted. Dinner in a flash? Done!

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Mexican chicken and rice casserole

Quick and easy Mexican chicken and rice casserole is a great weeknight family dinner recipe and is perfect served with creamy guacamole and salsa. 
4.31 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Casserole, Chicken, Dinner
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 648kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 4 -6

Ingredients

  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 4 cups cubed vegetables of your choice I used green, red and yellow bell peppers, fresh corn cut from the cob and zucchini
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tablespoon enchilada spice
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2-3 cups left-over cooked chicken cubed
  • 4 cups cooked rice cooled
  • 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella
  • sliced chillies to serve
  • fresh coriander to serve
  • guacamole to serve

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°c.
  • In a large frying pan, fry the onion in a splash of oil until soft and translucent.
  • Add the vegetables and saute until cooked. Add the garlic and season to taste then saute for another minute.
  • Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Mix together the chicken, rice, cooked vegetables, Feta cheese and tomatoes then season to taste.
  • Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish then top with the mozzarella cheese and place in the oven.
  • Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and all the ingredients are heated through.
  • Remove from the oven then serve with the chillies, coriander and guacamole.

Nutrition

Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 823mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 9770IU | Vitamin C: 31.9mg | Calcium: 420mg | Iron: 4mg

Quick and easy guacamoleQuick and easy guacamole