Mexican Rice Skillet

Some days I feel more ambitious than others, and this was one of those less ambitious days. I was up at the crack of dawn (not my choice, Stanley wants attention at 4:45 every freaking morning, but that’s another story), and when I saw that the temperature was 52°, I ran around the house opening windows. There was also a day baseball game, and while such games tend to send me to the kitchen, this one did not, so I knew that a quick and easy dinner would be the order of the day. As a consequence, I decided to try a new recipe for a one-pot dinner.  I am a fan of casseroles and one-pot meals. Nothing beats being able to toss things into one pan, and end up with a meal that you can enjoy today, revisit tomorrow, and freeze for the months ahead.

I really enjoyed this one. I am a fan of Mexican food and could pretty much eat it every day, so this really hit the spot. I had, the previous day, made Caribbean Cornbread and it proved a perfect accompaniment. Plus, I had a pitcher of margaritas in the fridge left over from my aunt’s visit earlier in the week that went down smoothly with my serving. Half the fun of a Mexican casserole is the toppings. You can top the entire casserole or each individual serving with as much or as little as you like, and vary the toppings according to individual taste. This one is a winner!

Mexican Rice Skillet

Slightly adapted from dinnersdishesanddesserts.com

 1 lb. ground chuck

1 c. yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 c. frozen corn kernels

1 c. salsa

1 c. uncooked long grain white rice

2 c. chicken stock

1 10-oz. can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded

 In a 12” skillet over medium high heat brown beef, breaking apart as you go.  Add onion and cook until soft.  Stir in taco seasoning until the meat mixture is evenly coated. Add corn kernels, salsa, rice, tomatoes, and chicken stock.  Stir until well mixed. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is done, and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle cheese over the top of the dish.  Cover and heat until cheese is melted. Top with desired toppings to serve.

 Serves 4-6

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Cheesy Beef and Noodles

 When it comes to food, undoubtedly comfort means something different to everybody. For me, comfort means ground beef, cheese, and pasta; it can be in red sauce, cheesy white sauce, beefy gravy, you name it. Any combination of the above works. I seem to be (aren't we all?) perpetually in need of comfort, so I made this combination for dinner tonight. It wasn’t a recipe; just a variety of things that I had on hand and thought would blend well in a one-pot meal. I was right. Be liberal in following these directions if you are in the mood for a warming bowl of comfort. Use what you have on hand. Deepen the flavors with portobello mushroom powder if you have it, and you will be in for one comforting and delicious, family friendly meal.

A Bowl of Comfort:
Cheesy Beef and Noodles

1 lb. ground chuck
2 large Melissa’s shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ c. strong, brewed coffee
1 ½ c. water

2 c. beef broth
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
½ t. Montreal Steak Seasoning
½ t. chili powder
½ t. smoked paprika
¼ c. tomato paste

1 t. sugar
2 c. campanelle pasta

Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mozzarella cut into cubes
1 c. shredded cheddar
 
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brown ground chuck, shallots, and garlic in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink. Drain fat and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle liberally with cheeses, slide into the oven and bake until the cheese melts, 8 to 10 minutes.

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Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

This year, in an effort to get my decorations up early, I pretty much put everything else on the back burner (if you'll pardon the culinary pun), and that includes cooking. So, these days when I make a meal, it has to be quick, easy, and crockpot friendly. This recipe is based upon one I had in the seventies called Angel Chicken. I decided to make it early one morning before I dug into the Christmas decorations, but had failed to thaw chicken overnight in the fridge. What the heck, I thought, as I tossed two rock hard chicken breasts into the slow cooker, stirred together the few other ingredients, and poured them on top.

As the day went on and my weariness increased, the faint aroma of beautifully spiced chicken filled the house. I was so tired that the thought of making something simple like rice or noodles to use as the base for the chicken seemed daunting. So, I went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of Cipolline onions that I had previously blanched, peeled, and frozen, cleaned a handful of large button mushrooms, and quartered them, scrubbed six Ruby Gold Potatoes, halved them, and tossed everything into the pot on top of the simmering chicken. A one-pot meal was certainly in order for the day.

As I spooned everything into a bowl that evening curled up on the couch with my cozy afghan and a fire in the fireplace, I dug in. That's when I decided that this new dish should be called Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken because the flavor was absolute heaven. The chicken was perfectly tender and beautifully seasoned, thanks to the packet of Italian dressing mix. The onions were nicely done as were the mushrooms, the potatoes were like butter. It was the best meal I had had in a long time, and took virtually no effort.

This is a must have for you during this busy holiday season. And it's so good, that I really feel it's company worthy. Maybe not for your elegant dinner parties, but certainly for a Christmas tree decorating party, a cookie making party, movie night, football afternoon, or any gathering where good friends and family get together. You have to try this. 

Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

1-1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts (about 3)

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 8-oz. carton cream cheese with chives and onions

1 can condensed mushroom soup

6 peeled Melissa’s Cipolline onions (or 1 medium yellow onion, quartered)

6 large button mushrooms, quartered

6 Melissa's Ruby Gold Potatoes, scrubbed and halved

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine dressing mix, butter, cream cheese, and soup, and pour on top of chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours. Add onions,  mushrooms, and potatoes, and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour.

 PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

 Dishing It & Digging It

   Busy Mondays

 Art of Homemaking Monday
 Full Plate Thursday
  Foodie Friday & Everything Else