There is a magical place my mind goes when I can make a meal in under 30 minutes on a weeknight. This magical place is a result of not hearing the incessant yelling from my boys that they are starving to death at 5:01. It is also a result of producing a meal that they will a) both eat, and b) are interested enough in their food to keep their hands to off each other for 5 minutes. As you can see the bar is set high over here. Enter Chicken with Chile Cheese Rice. As I said, this recipe is ready in 30 minutes, and is one of my weeknight favorites. It actually not a new recipe, but it was shared with me years ago by another blogger and I have loved it ever since.
This meal combines all the good stuff. Shredded chicken, brown rice, peppers, onions, and a mix of colby and pepper jack cheeses. I also love to add a bunch of fresh chopped cilantro as well. This recipe has just the right amount of heat without being over the top. However, if you are sensitive to spice it can easily substitute green been in place of the jalapeno. I will tell you that both my kids eat this with the jalapeno, and it is not overly spicy.
My other trick to this dish is to make a bunch of shredded chicken in advance. I make 5 pounds at a time in my instant pot, shred the chicken, and bag it in 1 pound amounts. I generally freeze it so I have it on hand for quick dinner. If you don't have an instant pot you could boil the chicken till it will shred or cook it in a slow cooker, and follow the same process for storing till you need it.
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We are on spring break this week, and I am in full prep mode for a really fun (and sweet) event next week. I am working with other bloggers to bring you 6 days of different varieties of springtime sweets. It is going to be really yummy, and I am counting down the days to share it with you! If you follow me on Instagram (Click to Follow!), I have a few teasers in my stories for hints on what is coming your way next week.
Aside from prepping for next week, I have been working on my final push to get my school credentialing all set because I am done in a few short months. In Wisconsin, we are evaluated by our lesson planning using video evidence and evidence from educational standards. It is a bit of a process to put together, but I am chugging along....I will be VERY happy when I can finally slick submit!
In addition to teaching, I have a really fun project I will be working on this summer. The ink isn't dry on all the lines yet, but when it is I can't wait to share it with you because I am so excited about it!
We are starting to warm up in Wisconsin! 50 degrees- heat wave! However, there was a bit of flooding because it got warm quickly and rained, and we still have a lot of snow on the ground that needs to melt. Thankfully, we did not have flooding in our neighborhood, but there are others close by that experienced some flooding, but thankfully that is over for now.
If it is warming in your area I hope you have time to get outside and enjoy it. While you are at it make this delicious meal and keep that extra time saved to enjoy the sunshine!
Similar Recipes:
Chicken with Chile Cheese Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 small jalapeno, diced
- 2 gloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
- 14 oz diced green chilies
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 lb cooked shredded chicken
- ½ cup grated colby jack cheese
- ½ cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Sour Cream and Black Olives, for topping
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large rimmed skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add rice, chilies, and seasonings to the pan. Cook for about a 1 minute more, then pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer rice for about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken to the pan and cook until rice is tender and chicken heated, about 3-5 minutes.
- Next, stir in the cheese, and about ¾ of the chopped cilantro. Stir to allow cheese melt. Garnish with a sour cream, olives, and additional chopped cilantro.
Notes
Danielle Wolter
i am all about meals you can make in under 30 minutes. so simple and easy. loving the flavors in this rice ashley!
Mahy Elamin
This is probably the best rice dish I've ever made. My husband is picky when it comes to rice dishes, and he just loved this. I doubled the recipe, and we still ate all of it in one night! Just the two of us! This is a meal perfect for impressing guests, and so very simple!
Bee
AMAZING!!! We loved this recipe, soooo much flavor yet so simple. yummy! This was a keeper!
Melissa
I am always looking for easy and delicious meals for our busy weeknights!!! Chicken is a fave in our house so I know this will be a big hit!
Swathi
This is ultimate comfort chicken with chile cheese rice. . I love this great for busy weeknights. My kids will love it.
April
I absolutely agree - there is so much magic in quick meals on the weeknights - they are such a relief! Super excited about this chicken with chile cheese rice - it looks so delicious!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
This does sound good and so easy to prepare...perfect for a week night meal.
Hannah Lewis
This looks like my kind of family dinner!
Erin Vasicek
Mmm the rice alone sounds delicious but with the chicken it's a meal!
Jolene
I love meals that I can get on the table quickly but are still packed with flavor, and this looks awesome!
Anne Lawton
I love this for a quick dinner idea and I bet leftovers are even better!