Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice

This dish has two things going for it:  #1 - Fritos.  Yes, that's right, I said FRITOS.  Fritos are awesome.  Fritos are the bomb.  Fritos are good all by themselves.  Put them on a sandwich or in a dish like this and you have heaven on a plate.  I really don't need to say anything else, do I?  But I must add the second plus to this dish ... 30 minutes.  It's great for a week night dinner when all you want to do is curl up on the couch in your jammies and lose yourself in a heap of yumminess.



Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice


1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 (10 ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups Fritos, crushed
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro*

In large bowl, combine 1 cup broth, rice and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave till liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken till golden brown, 3 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to plate.  To the now-empty pan, add remaining broth, pre-cooked rice, Ro-Tel, and beans; bring to boil.  Return chicken and any juices back to skillet and cook, covered, till chicken is cooked thru and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove chicken to cutting board, tent with foil, and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 1/2 inch pieces.  Meanwhile, let rice mixture stand, covered, off heat.  Return chopped chicken and juices back to rice mixture, combine.  Mix Fritos, cheese, and cilantro; sprinkle over top chicken-rice mixture.  Broil on upper-middle rack till cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.


* You can adjust the amount of cilantro to suit the taste of your family.  My husband hates cilantro; so I make this dish without that ingredient and simply add it to my plate before eating.