Recipe Swap: Mexican Sour Cream Rice

I participated in another Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap last week. This time the theme was Mexican... my favorite! Here is a roundup of all the Mexican recipes shared in the swap.



I was given a recipe for Mexican Sour Cream Rice shared by Melissa at Lemons and Love. I was inspired by the recipe, and decided to change it up a bit. First, I used freshly roasted jalapenos instead of canned diced green chiles. Other changes included using cilantro instead of parsley, using frozen corn instead of canned, and like the author suggested, adding black beans. I did not use chicken in my recipe as I was serving it as a side to marinated and grilled beef and veggie kabobs.



Everyone really enjoyed this! The jalapenos added nice heat, but were not overwhelming. I liked the addition of black beans, and think that even more veggies could be added next time - maybe some red and green peppers and onions. I also definitely see how adding cooked, shredded chicken would make this a complete meal.



Below is my version of this recipe.



Ingredients

• 1.5 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups sour cream
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
  
  
• Spices, approximate amounts: 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 jalapenos, roasted then chopped (seeds removed; see below on how to roast jalapenos)
• 2 c frozen corn
• 1/2 can black beans
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Roast and prepare your jalapenos --- I roasted my jalapenos right on my gas stove, but you can do them on a grill as well. Just place them on the grates over the flame, and roast until each side is blackened. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic, and let sit for 15 minutes so they can sweat, making it easier to remove the charred skin. Remove from the bowl, and scrape away all the skin. Cut in half, remove all the seeds, then chop.
  
  
• Bring the chicken broth to a boil; add the rice and stir. Lower heat and cover; cook 20 minutes until rice is done and broth has absorbed.
  
  
• In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, spices, and 3/4 of the cheese.
  
  
• Pour rice into a greased casserole dish
• Mix in the sour cream mixture, jalapenos, corn, cilantro, and black beans.
  
  
• Top with the rest of the cheese.
  
  
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.