Queso Rice Casserole
This creamy queso rice casserole blends cheesy goodness with rice, poblano pepper, and optional corn or taco meat—perfect for Tex-Mex sides.
Equipment
- 8x11 Baking Dish (if you want it to bake deeper with a creamier center)
- OR 9x13 Baking Dish (if you want it to bake thinner with more browned sides and top)
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
For the Queso
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 1 1/2 C Half n Half or Whole Milk
- 4 Oz. Cream Cheese
- 2 C Grated Cheddar, Monterey and/or Pepper Jack Cheese See Notes for Cheese Info
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika Or Regular Paprika
Or you can use 2 1/2 to 3 C of your favorite queso
For the Base
- 3 C Cooked Rice
- 1 10 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, Drained
- 1 C Corn (Optional) if you want to hide another veggie in there
- 1/2 C Extra Grated Cheddar, Monterey or Pepper Jack Cheese for Topping (Optional) See Notes for Cheese Info
- 1 Tbsp Butter or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Small White or Yellow Onion, Diced
- 1 Poblano or Green Bell Pepper, Diced Or 3-4 Large Jalapeños if you really want some heat
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
Make the Base
- Grease your baking dish.
- For the base, heat the 1 Tbsp butter or oil in a pot over medium heat.1 Tbsp Butter or Vegetable Oil
- Add the onion and peppers, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook to soften. 4-5 minutes. Add the (optional) corn and cook another 2-3 minutes until hot. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Then stir in the drained tomatoes and chilies and cook another minute to help steam an excess liquid out. Season to taste with salt and pepper.1 Small White or Yellow Onion, Diced, 1 Poblano or Green Bell Pepper, Diced, 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced, 1 10 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, Drained, Salt and Pepper to Taste, 1 C Corn
- Mix the cooked rice into the veggies and then pour them into the greased baking dish.3 C Cooked Rice
Make the Queso
- You can return the pan to the heat and make the queso in it. (If using store-bought queso, skip the following 5 steps.)
- Melt the 2 Tbsp butter over medium high heat and then whisk in the flour. Continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute, until the raw flavor cooks out of the flour.2 Tbsp Butter, 2 Tbsp Flour
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and then begin slowly adding the half n half in. Stream it in as you whisk, being sure to break up any clumps in the flour.1 1/2 C Half n Half or Whole Milk
- Next, mix in the cream cheese. Be sure the heat is not high here or the cream cheese will curdle. It is also easier to break it into pieces before adding to the sauce.4 Oz. Cream Cheese
- Once the cream cheese is fully mixed in, add the shredded cheese one handful at a time. Mix until the current handful of cheese is fully melted into the sauce before adding more.2 C Grated Cheddar, Monterey and/or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Finally, add the chili powder, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.1 tsp Chili Powder, 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
Assemble the Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Add the queso to the baking dish, over the top of the rice and veggies. Give it a light stir to mix everything together. Top with the (optional) extra cheese.1/2 C Extra Grated Cheddar, Monterey or Pepper Jack Cheese for Topping
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly, and the cheese is melted on top.
- Let the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes to set up slightly.
- Enjoy!
Notes
For the cheese: You can go for yellow queso with cheddar, or white with Monterey or Pepper Jack. In a perfect world, I use half sharp cheddar, half pepper jack for the queso, and more sharp cheddar for the topping.
I highly recommend grating your own cheese if possible. The bagged, pre-grated cheese is great for convenience - and total usable in this recipe (try a fiesta blend) - but the starch they add as an anti clumping agent really thickens up the sauce and, in my opinion, dampens some of the flavor.