Chicken Tortilla Pie

I found this recipe, along with the previous recipe (Chicken and Cheesy Rice) on the Cabot Cheese website.  This recipe uses the extra chicken and rice from the other recipe to make a super easy second meal.  I put this together the night I made the Chicken and Cheesy Rice, then put it in the fridge covered with foil, and baked it two nights later.  If you don't want to make the Chicken and Cheesy Rice recipe, you'll just need to cook some chicken and some basmati rice for this recipe. 

You will need:

• Shredded or chopped cooked chicken
• 1 10-oz. can Rotel
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups leftover cooked brown basmati rice
• 1 cup 2% shredded sharp cheddar, plus additional 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 9-inch pie plate or round casserole dish with cooking spray.

Stir together chicken, Rotel, cumin, and oregano.

Place one tortilla in bottom of pie plate.  Top with about 1/3 of your chicken mixture, then 1/3 of  your rice and 1/3 cup cheese.  Repeat this process 2 more times (tortilla, chicken, rice, cheese).  Put the final tortilla on top.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through (this will likely take longer if you have made this ahead of time and have had it in the fridge- mine did). 

Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake for about 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.  Cut into wedges to serve. 

Chicken and Cheesy Rice

I found this recipe on the Cabot Cheese website, and adapted it to fit our tastes and to lighten it up a bit.  You should note that the recipe calls for making double the chicken and double the rice, to use in another recipe (Chicken Tortilla Pie) which I will post next. 

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup 2% shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place raw rice in 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes until onion is tender.  Add water and salt and bring to a boil.

Stir to dissolve salt and pour over rice.  Cover tightly with foil, and place in oven on middle rack.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.  Brush each piece lightly with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.  When rice has cooked for 30 minutes, place chicken in oven on top rack. 

After you've put the chicken in, give the rice about another 10-15 minutes or so in the oven, then check to see if it is tender.  Mine was ready to go at this point, but that may depend on your oven to some extent.  If the rice is tender, take it out of the oven and spoon half of the rice into a bowl to save for the Chicken Tortilla Pie.  Stir cheddar and sour cream into the remaining rice in the baking dish.  Recover loosely with foil and return the rice to the oven.

Bake the chicken and rice another 10-15 minutes until the rice is heated through and the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through.  Set half of the chicken pieces aside for Chicken Tortilla Pie.

Serve the chicken over the cheesy rice.  I served this with steamed broccoli mixed into the rice.