Slow-cooked chicken seasoned with Pecking Order® shreds into broccoli, rice, and sour cream for a casserole that feeds a crowd
Ingredients
Ingredients
- FOR THE CASSEROLE:
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Casa M Spice Co® Pecking Order®
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
- 3 cups white rice, cooked and cooled
- 1 10-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 12 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated or julienned
- 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, julienned
Method
-
01
Season chicken with salt and Pecking Order
5 minWork the Pecking Order into every crevice of those chicken breasts so the seasoning penetrates the meat evenly—you're building flavor, not just dusting it.
-
02
Slow-cook chicken on high for 4 hours
240 minCan use slow cooker or InstaPot; cook until chicken falls apart.
-
03
Pull chicken and refrigerate to cool
10 minLet it cool enough to handle, then shred it into bite-sized pieces; you want some texture variation, not baby food.
-
04
Cook 3 cups white rice
25 minCool in refrigerator after cooking.
-
05
Roast poblano chiles to char skin
8 minTurn regularly; char skin without cooking through.
-
06
Sweat chiles in sealed bag for 10 min
10 minThe steam softens the skin and makes it slip right off—don't skip this step or you'll be wrestling with charred pepper skin.
-
07
Peel, seed, and julienne chiles
6 minWork methodically and keep your cuts uniform so they cook at the same rate and don't overcook into mush.
-
08
Cut broccoli into small florets
5 minSmall florets are key here—they'll cook through without turning to sulfur-smelling mush in the oven.
-
09
Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 1 min
5 minDrain and shock with cold water immediately.
-
10
Preheat oven to 325°F
15 minThis gives your oven time to stabilize at temperature so the casserole bakes evenly and doesn't dry out.
-
11
Grease 9x13 baking dish
2 minA light coating of oil or butter prevents sticking and helps the bottom brown instead of steam.
-
12
Mix soup, sour cream, mayo, lime, chicken, half cheese
5 minFold gently and evenly so the sour cream base coats every ingredient without breaking down the chicken or broccoli.
-
13
Layer rice, broccoli, chicken mix, chiles, cheese in dish
8 minEven layers: rice, broccoli, chicken mix, chiles, remaining cheese.
-
14
Bake at 325°F for 40-60 min until golden and bubbly
50 minYou're looking for the edges to bubble vigorously and the top to turn golden—that's when everything's hot through and the flavors have melded.
-
15
Rest casserole for 10 min before serving
10 minThis lets the structure set so when you scoop it out, you get clean portions instead of a soupy mess.
From Mike's Notebook
Cool the rice and chicken before mixing — warm ingredients will break down the sour cream and make the casserole watery.
Blanch the broccoli for exactly one minute, no more — it'll finish cooking in the oven and turn to mush if you're generous.
Layer the casserole cold, then bake at 325° — slow heat lets the flavors marry without the cheese browning too fast on top.