Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole – colorful veggies, black beans, chicken and yellow rice are combined with melting Monterey Jack cheese in this delicious casserole that is sure to please both kids and adults.
As summer comes to an end here in New England, the days are still sunny and pretty warm, with temperatures in the 60s to low-70s°F. My 2-year old twin girls still frolic around on our deck in their swimsuits and splash around in their paddling pool.
I don’t think it’s warm enough for being in the pool, but my girls disagree. They have a hardy New England constitution, which they most definitely did not get from me — I grew up in Maryland.
But, by late afternoon it has started to cool down and start to feel like fall, and for me that means it’s time to turn on the oven and bring on the casseroles!
I made this Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole, last week when my parents were in town. They were visiting us on their way home to Maryland, from a trip to St. John and Bar Harbor. They were taking my 6-year old son, after school, to Kimball Farm for his first real game of mini golf, and didn’t know when they’d be back for dinner.
So, this Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole was a perfect choice for dinner that night. It takes about 40 minutes in the oven to bake, but then can easily sit in a warm oven for a couple of hours, or whenever people roll in for dinner. It also reheats and freezes well.
This Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole is a family favorite, a hit for kids and adults alike, and perfect for a casual family dinner. With all the vegetables, black beans, chicken, rice and cheese, it is a one-dish meal; I also like to serve it with a simple tossed green salad.
I love to top a serving of this delicious Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole with a large dollop of sour cream. My husband likes to also add a couple of dashes of hot sauce.
What is your family’s favorite casserole? Please let me know in the comments below!
Cheesy Chicken, Yellow Rice and Black Bean Casserole
Notes
If I don’t have cooked chicken on hand to make this casserole, I'll cook some chicken by poaching in a skillet. I like to do this step in the morning or the night before I plan to make this casserole.
To Poach Chicken:
Place chicken breasts in a skillet and fill the skillet with water or chicken broth until the chicken is almost, but not completely, covered. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, turning chicken half way through, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Let chicken cool, then cut into cubes.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) package yellow rice mix
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion (½ medium onion)
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium pepper)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 4 cups cubed cooked chicken (from about 2 large breast halves)
- 2 cups (8 oz) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Light sour cream for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 or 3-quart casserole dish.
- Prepare yellow rice according to package directions.
- While rice is cooking, heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium high heat, add onion, red bell pepper and carrots and sauté for 10 minutes or until tender.
- In a large bowl, combine hot cooked rice, sautéed onion, red bell pepper and carrots, black beans, diced tomatoes with chilies, chicken and 1 cup of cheese.
- Transfer mixture into prepared casserole dish, sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve and top with sour cream if desired.
Adapted from myrecipes.com.
Great looking recipe but I am allergic to tomatoes Suggestions as to how I can adopt this recipe sans tomatoes?
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I made this a few days ago with left over chicken and it was AMAZING!! This is what I think of when I hear the term :comfort food”. Thank you for sharing, will be making this a lot more.
I’m delighted to here that you made this dish and enjoyed it, it’s a family favorite, thanks for letting me know!
You can sauté the chicken with the vegetables and save a step.
This looks delicious, Joy. I love the combination of flavors. It’s such a pretty casserole, too. Pinned and Tweeted. Thanks for partying with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday.
Yummy!! This is a great recipe I will try…it’s right in my wheel house! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday and I hope to see you tomorrow! Pinned!
I grew up with yellow rice….my grandma always put turmeric in her rice for color. I didn’t realize you could buy it? How cool. This looks so yummy and comforting. I also love the tip about poaching chicken. I need to try that.
This is a great dish, classic flavors. Perfect weeknight dish.
Black beans and rice! My Latin favorites! Great recipe Joy!
This post makes me miss summer. And looks so great!!!
This is a very hearty meal. Yellow rice is perfect in this recipe. That cheesy goodness is making me very hungry right now.
Gosh this looks good! That and a salad and we’ll be set for dinner, pinning.
I’m already imaging having leftovers of this casserole and enjoying it for lunch! Looks delicious 🙂
What a beautiful colorful meal!
I love casseroles for their convenience. I usually make them up as I go along, keeping to a Mexican theme. My whole family loves those flavors, so I can count on everyone eating a hearty dinner. Your casserole looks wonderful!
This is my kind of casserole! I love the rice and bean combo!
I love black beans! This looks so comforting! Just in time for fall.
This looks so yummy, I bet it’s a real crowd-pleaser! I love all the veggies going on in there. 🙂
What a yummy dish. This would go perfectly with any Mexican themed dinner. Love all the colors too.
Yellow rice and beans make a pretty dish. I’m sure the flavors go well together! I’m going to have to try this dish. So glad you shared at Home Matters. Please be sure to come back again next week.
Thanks Shirley! I will definitely be back at Home Matters next week!!
Yellow rice and black beans.. yes, you had me with that. Looks wonderful. Linking Up from Home Linky Party.
Thanks Aimee, hope you give it a try and enjoy! Thanks for coming by 🙂