Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Step 1: Add the UNCOOKED Rice
- Pour both bags of uncooked Knorr Mexican Rice directly into the bottom of your 9×11-inch baking dish.
- Spread the rice out into an even layer so it cooks evenly. Remember, we are not boiling anything first and we are not dirtying another pot. The rice is going straight into the oven and soaking up all that delicious flavor while it cooks.
Step 2: Layer in the Chicken
- Spread 2–3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken evenly over the rice.
- You want chicken in every scoop, so break apart any really large pieces as you add it. This is also a great recipe for using up leftover cooked chicken, but rotisserie chicken keeps it extra easy. Add Knorr Chicken Bouillon Seasoning evenly over the entire casserole.
Step 3: Add the Broth and Sauces
- Carefully pour the 3 cups of chicken broth evenly over the rice and chicken.
- Next, pour the mild enchilada sauce and chunky salsa across the dish. Try to distribute everything evenly so all of the rice has enough liquid and flavor surrounding it while it cooks.
Step 4: Season Everything
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the entire casserole.
- There is already plenty of flavor coming from the seasoned rice, salsa, enchilada sauce, and bouillon, so you do not need to add any additional salt.
Step 5: Add the Colby Jack Cheese
- Sprinkle the shredded Colby Jack cheese evenly over the top.
- Make sure you take that cheese all the way to the edges. Nobody wants to be handed the corner of the casserole that somehow missed the cheese!
Step 6: Cover the Dish Tightly
- Cover the baking dish very tightly with aluminum foil.
- This part is important. The foil traps the steam inside the dish, and that steam is what helps cook the rice. Crimp the foil firmly around every edge of the baking dish so steam cannot escape.
Step 7: Bake
- Bake the tightly covered casserole at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Do not keep opening the oven and lifting the foil to check it. Let the rice stay covered and do its thing. By the end of the cooking time, the rice should have absorbed the broth and sauces and become tender.
Step 8: Add the White Queso and Enchilada sauce
- Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and take off the foil, watching out for the hot steam.
- Pour or spoon the entire 16-ounce jar of Pancho’s White Queso evenly over the hot casserole. Spread it all the way across the top so every serving gets plenty of creamy queso. Then drizzle over the Enchilada sauce to your liking if any at all!
- The heat from the freshly baked casserole will warm the queso and help it settle right into the cheesy chicken and rice.
Step 9: Cool and Serve
- Let the casserole cool for about 5–10 minutes before serving.
- Scoop it into bowls or onto plates and serve it with plenty of tortilla chips. You can eat it like a casserole, scoop it up like a dip, or do a little bit of both—which is exactly what we did!