Tex Mex Chicken Bake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thickness and diced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup fat free half and half or milk (you can also sub heavy cream if preferred)
• 1½ cups cooked rice (I used long grain white rice)
• 8 ounces (2 4-ounce cans) diced green chiles
• 1 cup diced bell peppers (I used red, green, yellow, and orange – but use whatever combination you have on hand or prefer!)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can yellow corn, or 1½ cups frozen corn
• ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped (measure ½ cup leaves – then chop)
• ½ cup mexican blend cheese (or fiesta blend, or cheddar, or jack cheese, etc – whatever you prefer!)
• tortilla strips (found next to the croutons and salad dressings) or crushed tortilla chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a large nonstick pan or skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Whisk together cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, slat, and black pepper.
Season chopped chicken with 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Add chicken to preheated pan and sauté 5-8 minutes until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a large bowl and set aside.
Add butter to pan and return to heat. when butter is melted, stir in flour until mixture clumps together. Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk. When mixture is smooth remove from heat. Add cooked rice, peppers, black beans, chiles, and corn to chicken bowl. Add cream mixture and stir to combine. Stir in remaining seasoning mix and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with tortilla strips/chips. Bake 15 minutes until entire dish is heated though. Serve and enjoy!