Cha-cha-cha! Let’s get this party started with the Let’s Fiesta Bake! Crank up the music and get out the tambourines, because this fajita-seasoned, cha-cha chicken and spicy Spanish rice combo, melted with oodles of cheddar cheese is music to everyone’s ears! Grab your favorite dance partner and try the Let’s Fiesta Bake for a celebration of a lifetime! It will have you singing a different tune! Let’s fiesta!
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 (6.8-ounce) box Spanish rice mix, seasoning packet reserved
- 2 cups water
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
For the casserole:
- 4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
- 1 (1.25-ounce) packet fajita seasoning
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- lettuce, optional, to taste, shredded, for topping
- cherry tomatoes, optional, to taste, halved, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
Step 4 –Add the rice from the Spanish rice mix to the melted butter and sauté until golden-brown, about 3 minutes.
Step 5 –Slowly add the water, the seasoning packet from the Spanish rice mix, and the diced tomatoes with green chilies to the sautéed rice, stirring to combine.
Step 6 –Cover, while stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils.
Step 7 –Cover the skillet, reduce the stovetop heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 8 –In a large bowl, add the cooked rice mixture, the chopped chicken, the fajita seasoning, the cream of chicken soup, the sour cream, the onion, and the bell pepper and stir to combine.
Step 9 –Add the chicken-rice mixture to the prepared baking dish and evenly top it with the cheddar cheese.
Step 10 –Bake, uncovered, until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Step 11 –Serve topped with the lettuce and the tomatoes.
