Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole Variation 1

We really liked this, as did our friend who stopped by and ate with us!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups precooked rice - cook
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can PepperJack cheese soup*
4 oz green chile peppers (or two or three green chilies [Anaheim])
small amount of milk**
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Crumbled ritz crackers (one package in a box)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Cook Chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, place in a microwave-safe dish, cover and cook in microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Let cool.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine chicken, rice, green chilies, soups, milk, and 1 cup cheddar and mix well. Top with remaining cheese, then with ritz.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and bread is crunchy.


*Okay, I couldn't find pepper jack cheese soup. If you can, good on ya. If you can't, I suggest the following:

Make a white sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk

Melt butter over low heat. Turn off heat and mix with flour into a nice paste. Put it back on a medium heat and start adding milk slowly, stirring constantly. When it thickens, start adding pepper jack cheese. It's about 2 inches of a block, but go until it tastes like a good pepper jack sauce.

**If you use a can of pepper jack soup, add the milk. If you have to make the sauce, don't.