GREEN CHILE CHEESE RICE CASSEROLE

Green Chile Cheese Rice Casserole is a fantastic side dish recipe to pair with your favorite Tex-Mex dishes. Just a few basic ingredients make this Mexican casserole scrumptious!

I literally used to have one rice recipe, my Extreme Rice. I’ll be the first to admit, it’s so good, easy, and versatile. I used it for every occasion.

However, I had a ‘different’ Mexican rice, not the ‘red’ rice that’s served typically, at a restaurant recently. It was so good I just had to duplicate it.

This Green Chile Cheese Rice Casserole is really refreshing and unforgettable. It’s creamy, cheesy, with a pop of crunch from corn and tons of flavor from cilantro and green chili peppers. I made it as a side dish, but you can add chicken for an easy main dish casserole.

Needless to say, it’s a new family favorite! And a must when we have enchiladas, burritos, or tacos for dinner!

Another rice dish that you’ll surely love is Instant Pot basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS & TIPS

1. Most notable, this recipe calls for precooked rice. When you’re planning your meal and timing, take that into consideration. I typically make extra rice when I cook rice just for this reason.
2. Rice – I used basmati rice, but you can use whatever rice you have on hand or that you prefer. Basmati is slender, soft grain rice. My boys prefer it over other rice.
3. Diced canned green chilis. You can find them in the store usually with the other Mexican items. If you want the rice to be spicier you can use jalapenos.
4. I used Monterrey and cheddar cheese, you can also use Colby, Pepper Jack, or a combination.
5. Corn – I used frozen corn, but you can use canned or fresh corn.
6. Fresh garlic and cilantro, in my opinion, is a must. Fresh has so much bright flavor!

HOW TO MAKE GREEN CHILE CHEESE RICE CASSEROLE

1. The rice needs to be cooked, so if you don’t have leftover, cooked rice, cook it first.
2. Next, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. While the oven is preheating, you simply mix all the casserole ingredients together. Hold out one cup of cheddar cheese and mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Spray an oven-safe casserole dish with non-stick spray and pour the mixture into the dish.
5. At this point, you can refrigerate the casserole until you are ready to bake it. A lot of times I’ll make it early in the day and bake it for dinner.
6. Spread the one cup of cheddar over the casserole. Next, bake it until the middle of the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted. This usually takes 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Serve it hot or warm with your favorite TexMex recipes.
8. If you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the microwave. I cover the dish with a lid, wet paper towel, or plastic wrap to hold in the moisture. Next, microwave it until it’s hot.

WHAT DO I SERVE WITH THIS CASSEROLE?

• Healthy 20 Minute Chili Lime Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Recipe 
• Chicken and Shrimp Fajita Nachos
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
• Caribbean Jamaican Jerk Fish Tacos
• You can find more recipes at my Recipe Index