Creamy Mexican Chicken Over Rice

Oh yes, I love Mexican inspired food!

cookin' chicken, again!

Creamy Mexican Chicken Over Rice

1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 3lb. bag (frozen) chicken tenderloins, thawed
2 T taco seasoning
1 16oz. bottle prepared salsa
1 can chili beans (with sauce)
1 can Rotel, undrained
barely a pinch of red pepper flakes
2 T cilantro
black pepper to taste
1 8oz. block cream cheese

Saute onions and green pepper in oil until translucent.  Add thawed chicken and taco seasoning - cover and let cook for about 5 minutes or so. Add salsa, beans, Rotel, red pepper flakes, cilantro and black pepper.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Cut cream cheese into chunks and add, stirring until incorporated.  Let simmer another 5 - 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.

And, speaking of rice, I just purchased a rice cooker.  Yes, I went to an Asian Food Mart for the real deal. They had so many, and in every price range, too - all the way from $20 to $350!  I chose one that looked a lot like a good friend's rice cooker she brought to potluck frequently.

6 cup rice cooker

For the trial run, I put in the standard 1 cup white, long grain rice with 2 cups water. I added my favorite herb mix, just for fun and a bit of salt. Worked like a charm and boy, did those herbs smell good while it was cooking! Only took about a half an hour and it was perfect rice. The herbs kinda got everywhere inside the cooker (what in the world was going on in there??), but it tasted divine with a bit of the sauce from the Creamy Mexican Chicken over top. Did you know that rice is pretty filling?  *smile*

I am excited to use this new cooker for our Shabbat meals; I'm thinking of all kinds of possibilities to go with rice; red beans, lentil bolognese, veggie chili, Dal, veggie stews, etc., etc.! I'm thinkin' crock pots and rice cookers are a reluctant cook's best friends!