Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet

Taken from The Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner Cookbook



1 tsp AND 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 can Mexican style corn
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp Southwestern seasoning mix (I used a Southwestern rub, but taco seasoning can be substituted)
2 cups uncooked Instant white rice
2 cup chicken broth
1.5 cups salsa verde
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (I used about 1 tbsp dried)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend



Add 1 tsp of oil to a skillet; heat over medium high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Meanwhile, drain corn and pat dry with paper towels. Add corn to skillet in a single layer. Cook without stirring 5 minutes or until caramelized on one side.



Remove corn from skillet and set aside

As the corn cooks, cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Combine chicken and seasoning mix. After corn is finished, add chicken to skillet. Cook over medium high heat 5-7 minutes or until the center of chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tbsp of oil to skillet. Add rice; stir until well coated with oil.



Add broth and salsa



Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

To serve, spoon chicken over rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and corn. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro



Review: This is not a new recipe. Its one I've made several times and its a favorite. Its so quick and so easy. It has tons of flavor. My suggestion is make sure the seasoning you use on the chicken is one you really enjoy. It seems like its the strongest flavor. I use Adams Reserve Southwestern Rub. I'm not sure if its just a Texas thing or not, but it has a great flavor. This also make plenty for a family. The 2 of us and Cady only ate a quarter of it tonight. And the leftovers are awesome!

Food Porn

A friend introduced me to TasteSpotting. Its like porn for foodies. I can't stop looking.

Menu for the week of 4/27

Sorry for the hiatus. J was out of town this week, so there was no cooking for just C and I. I, also, usually take the weekends off. It's J's time to play with his grill and his smoker.

This weekend he is smoking a brisket and making some sweet potato fries . He is also going to grill some steaks and some veggies. His method for doing those is simple. A little olive oil, a little garlic salt and a little pepper. So good.

This week my menu consists of:

Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas from $5 Dinners with Black Bean and Corn Salad from Rachael Ray

Pasta e Fagioli from Full Bellies, Happy Kids and green salads

Artichoke Chicken from Kelly's Recipes with Orzo

Tex- Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet from the Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbook

Baked Spaghetti

J loves spaghetti. I'm ok with it. My big issue is that I can't eat it leftover for some reason. I'm always look for recipes that J and C will love, and that I can eat leftover. I found this recipe and thought I would give it a try. Usually a layer of cheese on top will make anything acceptable leftover.

Baked Spaghetti

16 oz Angel Hair pasta (any pasta will work. J prefers Angel Hair and thats what was in the pantry)
1 Jar/Can of Spaghetti Sauce (we had big cans in the pantry. I think it was 26 oz)
1 lb Ground Beef (any ground meat will work)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 flour
1/4 Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
12 oz Evaporated milk
3 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles and brown meat.

Combine noodles, sauce and meat in a large bowl and set aside.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium to low heat. Add flour, parmesan cheese, salt and garlic powder.

At this point the recipe said to stir until smooth and bubbly. Mine never got smooth and bubbly so I just stirred until everything was mixed together well.

Add evaporated milk and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Stir until thickened.

Pour half of the noodle mixture into greased casserole dish. Top with cheese mixture. Pour the remaining noodle mixture on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 min

Review: This recipe was great! It makes A LOT, so its good for a big crowd or if you want leftovers for several days . C has become less of a human garbage disposal and a little more picky, but she loved this. I also think this is going to be great left over. Next time I make it I might add in some veggies to the sauce (olives, chopped onions, etc).