Cheesy Enchilada Rice
Decadent Cheesy Enchilada Rice makes a comforting side dish for grilled chicken and steak!
Stumped by side dishes?
It’s often easy to decide on a main dish for dinner, but less straightforward to determine what goes with it. Have you noticed that?
Well say hello to a rich and zesty side dish you are going to want to pair with all your main dishes, Cheesy Enchilada Rice.
This silky rice recipe is a cross between Spanish Rice and creamy risotto, and seems to go with everything!
Throw some grilled shrimp on top, or pair it with pork loin. Serve with grilled chicken or steak. You can even roast vegetables to top this Cheesy Enchilada Rice for a complete vegetarian meal.
Made with pantry staples, this 6-ingredient wonder combines robust flavor and cheesy goodness. Using long grain rice (instead of arborio rice for risotto) gives it a hearty, yet luxurious, texture.
Then all you need is a pat of butter, an onion, canned chiles, enchilada sauce, and cheese.
Old El Paso Green Chiles and Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce create depth and subtle heat as the Cheesy Enchilada Rice simmers.
No need for canned tomatoes and a long list of spices; it’s all in the Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce!
Once the rice is cooked, mix in shredded monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, and you have a side dish worth obsessing over.
Just look how the molten cheese brings the rice together!
Lt. Dan, who is a firm protestor of leftovers, ate this Cheesy Enchilada Rice 3 times in 2 days. That is a true testament to its allure.
Cheesy Enchilada Rice is my family’s current favorite dish side for fall. We know you are going to love it just as much as we do.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. All opinions are my own.
Cheesy Enchilada Rice
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 4.5 ounces Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles (1 can)
- 19 ounces Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce (1 can)
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese (8 ounces)
- 4 cups water
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Place butter in a 5-qt. saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, Old El Paso Green Chiles, Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce, and 3 cups of water.
- Stir and cover the pan. Bring to a boil. Set the heat to low and simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Keep covered in between stirs.
- Once the rice is cooked through, add one more cup of water and the shredded cheese. Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes until the rice is tender. Garnish with cilantro or scallions and serve warm.
I made this but in a slightly different way… instead of serving it as a side dish for the chicken, I cut back on some of the cheese or used low fat cheese and cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and added it to the rice
This was very delicious and easy to make. I added some chorizo to make it a little heartier, but it would even be good without. Also, it sure makes a lot of rice! It’s a great way to feed a lot of people for not a lot of money. I love that.
Another hit Sommer!
Sometimes I add rotisserie chicken and serve with salad!
Has anyone ever made this in a crock pot?
How big is a serving?
I made this tonight to serve alongside steamed tamales. This rice stole the show! Delicious!
I love your recipes but each time I print one out, part of the instructions are missing and I have to fill in the blanks so to speak. Can you fix that?
Hi Bonnie! I just tested printing here at home and the recipes come off the printer complete.
What exactly is missing? Is it the same section on every recipe? Any chance it’s a setting on your printer?
Thank you for this idea ! Perhaps some lettuce aside could make this a main for a week night dinner. Will be back for more !
Oh. my. That looks amazing! On my list for this week!