When I was still living with my parents, I often heard my mom express her frustration when it came to thinking of new things to cook for dinner. She would tell me that it is far too easy to get into a cooking rut when it comes to preparing meals for yourself and family, and while I failed to give her quips much thought when she was still cooking for me, now that I’m out of the house, cooking for Blaine and me, I absolutely understand what she was saying.
I haven’t even been regularly preparing meals for myself and my husband for a year yet, but I’ve noticed a somewhat subconscious pull to make the same dishes over and over. There is absolutely nothing wrong with repetition in the context of cooking, but you probably don’t want to make a certain dish so often that you literally get sick of the taste of it.
First-world problems, I know.
Trying to dodge a cooking rut, I’ve been attempting to use some recipes to jazz up my cooking, and I wanted to share the following with all of you as it looks fucking delightful. This recipe comes from jocooks.com.
“Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain rice (uncooked, such as Basmati)
- 3 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded (about 1½ lbs))
- 20 ounce red enchilada sauce
- 16 ounce refried beans
- 1 cup white cheddar (shredded)
- 11 ounce corn kernel (drained (1 can))
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (or parsley for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the rice: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and cook for about 18, or until rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork.
- Prep the oven: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine everything together: In a large bowl combine the shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce, refried beans, corn and half of the Monterey Jack and white cheddar cheese. Add the rice, season with salt and pepper if needed, and mix well. Pour rice mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top with remainder of cheese.
- Bake: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbly.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm,” the recipe explains.
I’m looking forward to making this, and I hope the same for you.
Image from https://www.jocooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chicken-enchilada-rice-casserole-1-13-730×913.jpg
ontheedgeofeverything 
