Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole

Original Recipe: Weight Watchers (but tweaked)

This is an easy throw-together dish since I always have all the ingredients on hand. And if I don't, it's still forgiving and substitutions are easy.

The family all ate their servings of this dish (except *J*'s share of spinach). We just dug in with normal utensils, but this could also be served dip-style (scooped with chips) or perhaps even as filling for burritos or tacos.

Ingredients

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup salsa

1 teaspoon cumin [optional]

1 teaspoon garlic powder [optional]

2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened [optional]

1 (15 oz) can refried beans [I used vegetarian, fat-free]

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn [I used 16 oz Trader Joe's roasted corn], thawed

1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers

1 Tablespoon chili powder [or to taste]

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart or 9x13" baking dish.

(2) In medium bowl, combine rice, salsa, cumin, garlic powder, and cream cheese. Evenly spread half of mixture on bottom of baking dish.

(3) In another bowl, combine beans, corn, peppers, and chili powder. Evenly spread over rice in dish.

(4) Layer spinach over bean mixture.

(5) Sprinkle cheese over spinach.

(6) Evenly spread remaining rice mixture on top.

(7) Cover; bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Kid Participation:

* Combine various mixtures

* Spread mixtures (perhaps not so evenly)

* Sprinkle cheese

Green Chili Chicken

Original Recipe HERE

This is one of those recipes for which I always have all the ingredients in the pantry, so it'll be a good "fall-back" recipe.  Like for those nights when I defrost some chicken because I don't know what else to do, then I'm scrambling an hour before dinnertime with what to do with it.

The original recipe called for flattening out regular chicken breasts - something I'm never good at.  I go at it with a mallet until the meat starts to fall apart, yet it's not thin enough to roll or fold.  And it can be tough on the outside but not cooked through to the inside.  So I went Plan B (see below) pretty early in making this, though I did flatten the chicken a bit to make for more even cooking.

Ingredients

3 to 4 chicken breasts

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
2 4-ounce cans green chilis
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese [or sour cream]
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese, mexican blend

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) Combine garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
3) Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.  Dredge each side in the spice mixture.
4) In medium-size pan, heat olive oil.  Add chicken and brown slightly on each side so spices adhere.  Remove from pan and put in greased baking dish.
5) Combine chilis, cream cheese, salsa, and shredded cheese in bowl.  Mix thoroughly, ensuring that cream cheese is blended.
6) Spoon sauce over chicken.  Cover and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation:
* Pound chicken (if you trust them with a mallet)
* Stir spices
* Stir sauce ingredients together