Chicken Adobe – A Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
Chicken Adobe is like a classic chicken and rice casserole, but with a Mexican flavor twist added. And since September is both chicken month and rice month, we’re rockin’ the food holidays here. ;). One of the best things about this dish is that you can do the work and assemble the casserole early in the day, refrigerate it, and cook it later. That also makes it a great candidate for taking dinner to a friend who needs some extra help.
Most of the ingredients for Chicken Adobe are things you might have in your fridge or pantry so it also serves as one of those meals you can throw together when you don’t have a dinner plan.
A few words about my particular tweaks:)
-This calls for cooked chicken. You can use a rotisserie, leftover chicken, or even canned chicken. I usually roast chicken or chicken breasts sometime earlier in the week, either for prep or for another meal, and use that.
– This also calls for a brown rice blend. I use a blend I love from Trader Joes (not sponsored), but you can use plain brown rice here. I like the blend from TJ because it adds texture and a slightly different flavor. It’s really a mix of brown rice, black barley, and daikon radish seeds, which really ups the nutrition factor.
How to Make it:
Start the rice going first since that takes a while. I use 1 full bag of the Trader Joes rice mix according to package directions. If you are using regular brown rice, you’ll need 2 cups dry rice to cook.
Preheat your oven to 350˚.
If you have a large, oven-safe dish for this that will work well. If not, use a large skillet and transfer to a baking dish later. Start by cooking chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil over medium-high heat until tender. Then add in the rice blend and saute a minute or two. You’re toasting it up here, kind of like a pilaf.
Then add in the chicken, cumin, tomatoes, salt, and pepper and mix well.
Remove from heat. Mix in the sour cream, green chilis, and half the cheese.
Transfer to a casserole dish if you are using one.
Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes. Remove the cover, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and return to the oven until the cheese melts (5-10 more minutes). Let the casserole rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
***If you make the dish ahead, keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, then let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before following the regular baking instructions.
Next, totally enjoy it. It’s yumalicious. This is one that all 5 family members like.
There you have it…all the comfort and warmth of a chicken and rice casserole, but without being boring or repetitive. It’s a classic with a modern twist!
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| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
- 4 cups cooked brown rice or brown rice blend
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 carton sour cream (16.0z.)
- 1 can chopped green chilis (4 oz.)
- 4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese Pepper jack can be a nice twist too!
Ingredients
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- Prep work: Make sure your rice is cooked or cooking, and your chicken is cooked and shredded.
- Preheat oven to 350˚. Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large skillet or oven proof pan. When onions are tender, add in the chicken, rice, cumin, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed and heated through.
- Remove from heat and add in sour cream and half of the cheese. If you are not using an oven proof skillet, you'll need to transer to a casserole dish at this time.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove the cover, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
- If you are making this casserole ahead of time, do all parts except baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before following the regular baking instructions.