Smothered Queso Chicken Bake Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • ¾ cup diced roma tomatoes
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of the chicken breasts.
  3. Sear chicken breasts in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown, then set aside. Note that the chicken will not be cooked through at this point.
  4. Mix the cheddar cheese and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until the cheese is coated, then set aside.
  5. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
  6. Add tomatoes and green chilies mixture and cook until heated.
  7. Add in evaporated milk, cheese/cornstarch mixture, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce thickens.
  8. Stir in the milk and remove the queso from heat.
  9. In a large bowl mix together the rice, diced roma tomatoes, diced green chiles, and 1 cup of the queso.
  10. Spread the rice mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking pan.
  11. Add the seared chicken on top of the rice.
  12. Spread the remaining queso over the top of everything. Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  13. Remove the foil and sprinkle the shredded Mexican blend cheese over the top of the casserole.
  14. Bake in the oven for an additional 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
  15. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired, then serve warm.