An Edible Mosaic™

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BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole {BIG Giveaway: $50 Target Gift Card, GO VEGGIE Products, and More}

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BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole is a great way to use leftover chicken and brown rice!

BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole 1

There’s a small window of opportunity when someone gets good and hungry enough that even the pickiest of eaters will be willing to try new foods. Now, this isn’t usually something you can make happen, but when circumstances cause it to be there’s no harm in taking full advantage of the situation, right? (I think many parents can relate!)

In high school I used to babysit a couple of little boys at the end of our street. One was about five and the other three, and surprisingly, the three year old was a veggie fiend and the five year old wouldn’t touch dinner unless it was a pb&j, cut into triangles and crusts trimmed off, thank you very much.

BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole 2

The parents told me to just make the older son a sandwich every night, but the three year old got real food, usually leftover from a homemade family dinner; things like meatloaf with mashed potatoes, spaghetti with meatballs, and pot roast with gravy and mixed veggies. Now, one night we had been out at the park so we were a little late coming home for dinner. The younger guy crashed as soon as we got home and while I was putting him to bed, the older one went to the kitchen and chowed down on his little brother’s BBQ chicken. “You can tell my mom I guess I do like BBQ chicken!” he told me with a shrug. I told his mom and suddenly late trips to the park became a weekly thing, and eventually the little guy grew out of his extreme pickiness. And I always think of him with a smile when I make BBQ chicken.

IngredientsBBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole 3

If you’re a fan of BBQ, you’ll love this casserole. I whipped up a quick three-ingredient creamy sauce with GO VEGGIE Vegan Classic Plain Cream Cheese, which gives this sauce its creaminess (and it’s non-GMO verified!), GO VEGGIE Lactose and Soy Free Pepper Jack Deli Slices for a hint of heat (you can bump up the heat factor by adding hot sauce or cayenne to taste if you like!), and BBQ sauce (use whatever your favorite sauce is). Both of these GO VEGGIE products are gluten and lactose-free, and have less fat than regular cheese.

This dish is easy to put together because it makes good use of leftover chicken (or turkey) as well as leftover brown rice, and it basically babysits itself in the oven. It’s a fun way to reinvent leftovers and you can even make it a couple days ahead so dinner is all set for a busy night later in the week.

We all have a few tricks up our sleeves…how do you get picky eaters to try new things?

BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole 4

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BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole {Gluten-Free; Lactose-Free}
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 6 servings
 
BBQ Pepper Jack Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole is a great way to use leftover chicken and brown rice!
Ingredients
Casserole:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to oil the dish
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 bell peppers (any colors you like), seeds removed and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey both work great here)
Sauce:
  • 1 (8 oz/227 g) tub GO VEGGIE Vegan Classic Plain Cream Cheese
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) BBQ sauce
  • 8 slices GO VEGGIE Lactose and Soy Free Pepper Jack Deli Slices, chopped
Garnish:
  • Fresh chopped cilantro, parsley, or scallion
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F; lightly oil an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish with olive oil.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat; add the onion and bell peppers and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
  3. While the onions and peppers cook, make the sauce. Add the cream cheese and BBQ sauce to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s hot, add the chopped pepper jack deli slices and whisk until melted. Turn off the heat and set aside for now.
  4. Stir together the onion/pepper mixture, salt, black pepper, brown rice, chicken, and ¾ cup of the sauce in a large bowl; pour it into the prepared casserole dish, spread it out evenly, and pour the remaining sauce on top.
  5. Cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes (remove the cover during the last 10 minutes).
  6. Serve with the fresh herbs sprinkled on top.
Notes
Make-Ahead: Make the casserole and instead of baking it, store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking for 30 minutes in a 375F oven.

: : GIVEAWAY : :

I’m thrilled to bring you a giveaway of GO VEGGIE products and other cool stuff (thank you, GO VEGGIE!). GO VEGGIE cheesy alternatives are great for people who can’t or don’t eat regular cheese for whatever reason. All GO VEGGIE products are lactose-free and gluten-free. Their shreds have no cholesterol and no saturated fat, and 50% less fat and 50% more calcium than regular cheddar. (You can read more about how GO VEGGIE compares with regular cheese and cheese alternatives here.) I’m telling you, if you thought cheese was a thing of the past in your life, GO VEGGIE is a game-changer.

For this giveaway, GO VEGGIE is providing the following prize pack to one lucky winner:

  • One $50 gift card to Target
  • Four GO VEGGIE free product coupons
  • One GO VEGGIE tote bag
  • One GO VEGGIE pen
  • One GO VEGGIE keychain

To participate in this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post telling me your all-time favorite cheesy recipe.

For extra entries, you can do any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

  • Tell me what GO VEGGIE product you can’t wait to try if you win.
  • Tell me your cooking style. Maybe it’s low and slow, or maybe you’re all about 20-minute meals, or maybe you like to batch cook on the weekend. Whatever it is, I want to know!
  • Like An Edible Mosaic on Facebook.
  • Like GO VEGGIE on Facebook.
  • Share this post on any of your social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram) and tag @AnEdibleMosaic and @GoVeggieFoods.

You do not need to have a blog to enter this giveaway. For shipping purposes, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. This giveaway ends on October 24, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST. Once the giveaway ends, the winner will be randomly chosen and notified via email. The winner will have three business days to respond with his or her mailing information, otherwise a new winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck to all!

Disclosure: I received the GO VEGGIE products that I used in this recipe for free and they are providing the prizes for this giveaway; I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.

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Comments

  9. My cooking style is varied. I love doing my 30 minute meals, but I also on the weekends when I have more time with spend over an hour cooking a good meal.

    Reply

  13. My favorite would be a good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
    Erin
    ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com

    Reply

  15. My cooking style depends on the day. I usually cook a more involved meal on the weekends, and on the weekday I prefer to cook 1 hour or less meals.

    Reply

  20. We have a combination of fast and slow food. With teenagers going two directions most nights – I’m happy to do the traditional grilled cheese sandwich/tomato soup combination or quesadillas. But as I grow older cheese is becoming a problem as my lactose intolerance grows. I’d love to see if I can keep eating like the kids but with the twist of easier digestion.

    And I love following you in my feed and on facebook.

    Reply

  26. shared on Facebook–https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=344276162577447&id=100009851985013&pnref=story

    Reply

  29. I am all about quick meals since my kids are in school. I prefer 5-10 minute prep meals, but I also focus on making the meals healthy.

    Reply

  38. I love Go Veggie! My absolute favorites are cheese quesadillas, and their cheeses always give the most melty perfection!

    Reply

  39. My favorite cheesy recipe is grilled cheese sandwiches. I like to add some garlic to the butter to give it a cheesy breadstick taste. I also like oven baked macaroni and cheese. It is primarily the golden brown layer of cheese I like, so I could just was easily like that on anything.

    Reply

  41. If it is something that uses the oven, we usually cook multiple batches at once to cut down our energy costs. On the stovetop we just cook it as needed.

    Reply

  79. I have a Golden Cheddar Cheese soup recipe that is pureed yellow squash, carrots, onion, potatoes, turmeric, and cheddar. We love it!

    Reply

  88. My cooking style is something healthy, fast, but super flavorful! On the weekends we love to tackle more time-consuming recipes as well. Cooking together is fun and a great way to connect

    Reply

  91. My cooking style is about yummy foods that don’t take too much time. I also love to experiment with new things and ingredients.

    Reply

  95. I’m about the 30-minute meals. I do like my slow cooker. And when I have time I like to try new recipes that if they turn our and are not too complicated, can be added to my repertoire!

    Reply

  102. Oh I have to say this time of year…I am a huge slow cooker user! I love using the crock pot and having dinner ready! The house always smells so good coming home!

    Reply

  117. I guess you would say my cooking style is low and slow. Sometimes I’ll spend all day preparing a special diner. But then I l do appreciate faster recipes for when I need them.

    Reply

  136. My favorite cheesy food has to be the ravioli from Beca de peppo omg the best cheesy ravioli ever lol and their pizza too.

    Reply

  137. I cannot wait to try the lactose free cream cheese. During the holidays especially right now that we are almost heading into November. I bake so much. The only issue is that my mom and I can’t enjoy much of the desserts because of the regular cream cheese. So the cream cheese has me excited to try

    Reply

  138. I am a fast cooker/Baker. I love cooking and making sure my family eats as soon as possible. I don’t like keeping bellies growling too long. When my husband gets home from work all he needs to do is kick off his boots and sit at the table to eat. Kids get home same for them take the backpacks off and let’s eat. Family gatherings I’m always cooking. I love it.

    Reply

  144. I am always short on time so 20 min (or less) meals is great for me. I like to prepare things ahead of time on the weekend if I can so it is less stress during the week.

    Reply

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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