Southwestern Rice Chicken Bake

Picking out dinners in our house is a tricky business.  I'm still trying to lose that darn baby weight, so I look for things that are relatively healthy.  But at the same time, if I'm going to take time out of my day to make something, I actually want it to taste good, especially considering the likelihood of Josh eating it is pretty slim if it doesn't (which is really frustrating if I've spent time making it).  And as if those two factors don't make dinner selection dicey enough, I also look for things that are as easy as possible to make.

With all that in play, usually our dinners lean more one way than the next...and this recipe is a prime example.  This one is extremely easy to make...check.  And it is really healthy (especially for how filling it is, which means you probably won't eat a very large portion).  With all that going for it, I have to admit that I would be lying if I told you that this is the tastiest thing I have ever made...BUT, it is pretty good...at least good enough that I felt comfortable recommending it for you to try.

A few recommendations before I share the recipe with you: 1. it tastes better after it sits for a bit, so leave some time to do that.  2. We thought it needed a bit more flavor, but I'm not sure exactly what seasonings I would recommend to do that, so if you come up with something let me know! 3.  the original recipe called for 4 cups of rice, which we used, but honestly I think it was too much...I've written it for 3, but that may be too high/low.  Again, let me know if you try and figure it out.

Southwestern Rice Chicken Bake

• 3 cups brown rice, cooked (I used the 2 minute microwave variety to make it easy!)
• 1 package grilled chicken, chopped
• 8 oz. frozen corn
• 15 oz. black beans, drained
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 10 oz. tomatoes with chile peppers
• 1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar, plus some more topping

1.  Preheat oven to 350. 

2.  Mix all in a large bowl, making sure to thoroughly mix in cheese and yogurt.

3.  Place mixture into 8x8 baking dish.  Top with additional cheese.

4.  Bake 20-25 minutes.