Flavorful rice layered with black beans, corn, rotisserie chicken, and lots of gooey cheese to make a delicious and versatile family dinner recipe on a budget.
Easy dinner recipe for a large family with kids!
The combination of these taco inspired ingredients come together to create a kid friendly meal you can load up with all of your favorite toppings. Throw in some avocado and fresh tomatoes and you’ve got a yummy meal with just about every food group included.
Feeding a family these days can seriously drain your bank account, especially if you have hungry kids who eat three meals a day and are always snacking in-between. The great thing about Mexican food is that most of the ingredients are budget friendly and yet totally delicious!
Add this budget recipe to your dinner menu for busy weeknights! Your picky eaters might even go back for seconds.
There are so many unique and versatile ways to throw together a taco casserole with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Start with some sort of rice for filler, add a can of beans, some optional corn, the protein of your choice, gobs of shredded cheese, and you’ve got the base of a delicious casserole that can be further flavored with all of your favorite toppings.
To make this casserole extra lazy, I decided to use Mexican Style instant rice and rotisserie chicken, which can usually be bought already pulled at most grocery stores. However, you can use the rice, chicken, and seasoning of your choice! You could even opt for taco seasoned ground beef or make it vegetarian with a variety of beans and veggies such as zucchini or bell peppers.
Ingredients Needed
- 2 (6.4oz) boxes Mexican rice (boxed instructions also require butter and water)
- 1 small rotisserie chicken (pulled)
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- ⅓ sour cream
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
- 1 can corn (drained)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Step One: Cook The Rice
Cook the rice according to the package instructions which should require butter and water simmered in a sauce pan for about 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, stir in ½ cup of chunky salsa, ⅓ cup sour cream, and about a tablespoon of taco seasoning for extra flavor.
As a reference, each box of rice that I used came with about 1 cup of dry rice, so I used 2 cups total. You can choose any rice that you’d like including Spanish rice or your own seasoned white rice.
Step Two: Layer Your Casserole Dish
Spread the creamy rice mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Evenly top with the drained beans and corn followed by the chicken and shredded cheese.
Step Three: Bake & Serve
Bake, uncovered, in a 350° F oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy with any and all of your favorite toppings such as avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos, chopped lettuce, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, extra sour cream, etc.
If you have a family with picky eaters to feed, you’ve got to have a yummy, Mexican inspired casserole dish on hand for busy weeknights! It’s a budget friendly way to serve a crowd, plus the mixture reheats well so you’ll have plenty of leftovers if you’re only serving a few.
Creamy Mexican Rice & Chicken Dinner Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 (6.4oz) boxes Mexican Style rice (requires butter & water to make) *see notes
- 1 small rotisserie chicken (pulled)
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 (15oz) can black beans (rinsed & drained)
- 1 (15oz) can corn (drained)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions which should require butter and water simmered in a sauce pan for about 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, stir in ½ cup of chunky salsa, ⅓ cup sour cream, and about a tablespoon of taco seasoning.
- While the rice is cooking, preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. You can also use this time to pull the chicken and prepare your beans and corn.
- Place the creamy Mexican rice mixture into your prepare baking dish and top with the beans and corn, followed by the chicken and shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy with all of your favorite toppings such as avocado and fresh chopped tomatoes.
Notes
- Each box of Mexican Style Rice that I used came with about 1 cup of dry rice, so I used a total of 2 cups dry rice. Feel free to use the rice of your choice such as Spanish rice or your own seasoned instant white rice. You could also prepare just one box of rice for a smaller family.
- You can usually find rotisserie chicken already pulled in the deli section at most grocery stores, making this yummy dinner even lazier.
- Any kind of beans, corn, cheese, or chicken can be used for this recipe. That's the beauty of a casserole! Layer it your way with all of your favorite Mexican inspired ingredients.
- Once the rice mixture is cooked, feel free to do a taste test to see if you'd like more seasoning before layering it into your casserole dish.
- Looking for topping ideas? Avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, green onion, chopped lettuce, fresh lime juice, hot sauce, or extra sour cream are all great choices.
- You cold also replace the chicken with taco seasoned ground beef or make this casserole vegetarian with a variety of beans and added veggies such as sautéed zucchini and bell peppers.
- Want more easy dinner casserole ideas? Check out this list of 20 Lazy Dinner Casseroles For A Family With Picky Kids
Don’t forget to pin and save this easy family dinner recipe for later! 🙂
