Original Recipe HERE
I thought this was just going to be a run-of-the-mill, easy one-pot meal that we'd all eat and then forget about (unless I put it on here and filed it away for a weeknight clean-out-the-pantry type meal). But my kids LOVED it. Yes, worthy of capital letters. *N* and *P* each asked for three helpings, and *J* asked for two (which is big, considering he's going through a picky phase right now). The four of us polished off almost the entire thing, so I thought the leftovers would be a hearty lunch for me. No luck, since at breakfast *N* asked if we were having the same thing for dinner again. This sort of question is rare, and usually I'd assume it would be followed by a, "...because I don't want it!" (they are usually very leftover-averse). But she actually asked to eat it again! Well, knock me over with a can of black beans! (actually, don't, because that would hurt). I felt especially vindicated because *J* said several times how gross it looked before actually tasting it.
I was going to poach the chicken but realized I had a better chance of getting the kids to eat it if I made it more interesting (because they are also meat-averse lately). So I followed the basic steps for the lime chicken that is linked to in the original recipe. I sliced up the chicken breasts into "tenders"-sized pieces, marinated them for about 15 minutes (all I had time for), and then browned them until cooked through in a separate skillet. I do think it helped the flavor of the dish.
I eyeballed most of the ingredients, so the amounts I used aren't exact...it's an easy recipe to play with to suit personal tastes. Also, since I had no hot sauce in the house, I bought the Cholula brand used in the original recipe (sorry, Tabasco...I'm just not that into you). I assume it was good, though I used it sparingly since my kids aren't fans of hot-and-spicy things.
I served it with sour cream and salsa mix-ins, and green onions would've been a nice touch. In the future, I may use this as a taco, burrito, or enchilada filling.
The only thing I didn't like was that the cheese congealed on top once it cooled, so maybe mixing it into the main dish before putting it in the oven - or just waiting until serving and sprinkling it on then - would work better.
(sidenote: I think I set a personal record for number of parentheses and hyphens in one post)
Ingredients
2 to 3 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chiles
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
additional seasonings of choice [I used about 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning mix]
1 to 2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
(2) Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add onion. Saute several minutes, stirring occasionally.
(3) Add garlic to skillet. Cook another two minutes.
(4) Add rice, chiles, beans, cumin, seasonings, lime juice, chicken, and hot sauce. Stir until thoroughly combined.
(5) Sprinkle cheeses on top. Bake skillet about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Kid Participation: None, other than eating multiple portions.
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