Allen’s Cheesy Chicken Mexican Rice

[AllenOK]

Allen’s Cheesy Chicken Mexican Rice
Yields: 8 servings

5# chicken legs and thighs, poached, and picked apart, reserving the skins
1 c onions, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 T salt
2 t chili powder
2 t cumin
2 t oregano
½ c frozen peas
½ c corn
One 15 oz can tomato sauce
One 12 oz can Nacho Cheese Sauce
3 c rice
3 ¾ c chicken stock
For Garnish:
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Heat a heavy-bottomed soup pot that can go in the oven, or a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the reserved chicken skin and sauté slowly, to render the chicken fat and caramelize the skin, removing well-cooked pieces as you can. Don’t remove all of it, as you want a good browned-chicken flavor in the pan.
Add the onions and garlic over medium heat with the lid on to sweat the ingredients and form a sofrito. Once the onions are well-cooked and caramelized, add the peas, corn, salt, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Sauté this, stirring and scraping well, to get all that good flavor off the bottom of the pot. Add the rice, and cook until the rice begins to give off a nutty smell. Add the tomato sauce and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook until the mixture begins to stick. Scrape this up as much as you can, as it adds to the color and flavor. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Add the stock, chicken, and cheese sauce. Stir the mixture thoroughly. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
To serve, garnish with sour cream and a sprinkling of shredded cheeses.

 

[mbasiszta]

Thank you for this interesting twist on an old stand-by. You would
consider this a casserole, right?

Do you think you would get a nice browning of the chicken parts if you put them on top just before putting in the oven and bake them uncovered?

I will try this dish, but I will have to put some chipotles with
adobo sauce. If I think Mexican and cook Mexican, it has to be
very spicy hot.

 

[AllenOK]

Yep, you certainly could try it. I'd brown the chicken off in a saute pan, remove it from the skillet and hold it separate, then procede with the recipe. That way you can get the nice browned-chicken flavor incorporated into the sauce.

I agree with the chipotles en adobo. However, my family isn't to keen on them, so I usually leave them out.

 

[kitchenelf]

Great recipe Allen - thanks!

 

[suziquzie]

Allen i think I could eat that! thanks!

 

[mbasiszta]

Yep, you certainly could try it. I'd brown the chicken off in a saute pan, remove it from the skillet and hold it separate, then procede with the recipe. That way you can get the nice browned-chicken flavor incorporated into the sauce.

I agree with the chipotles en adobo. However, my family isn't to keen on them, so I usually leave them out.

I agree with you again today, Allen. Your recipe sounds great and I do think separately sauteing for browning purposes of the chicken would be the trick for my tastes. And you are right, won't that put a nice flavor in the sauce when the chicken goes into the pot to cook with the rest of recipe. I am trying this soon. I love all the ingredients. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[middie]

Oh man that sounds great !!!!!!