Clara & Marguerite Hollenbeck's Mexican Hotdish

Carrot Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 4-ounce can Ortega diced green chilies ***(with the juice)***
* 2 cups shredded Jack cheese ***(approximately 8 ounces)***
* 2 cans ***(14 ounces each)*** diced tomatoes ***(with the juice)***
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2-ounce can sliced black olives ***(with the juice)***
* 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 2 cups UNCOOKED white rice
* 2 packages ***(approximately 1-ounce each)*** Taco seasoning ***(Clara buys Lawry's)***
* 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
* 1 can ***(14.5 ounce)*** chicken broth
* ½ cup butter ***(1 stick, ¼ pound, 4 ounces)***
* 2 cups Fritos corn chips
* 2 cups ***(approximately 8 ounces)*** shredded Mexican cheese\*\*\* ***(I used the kind with four cheeses mixed together)***
	+ \*\*\*If the cheese selection at your grocery store is limited, just use shredded Monterey Jack for the first cheese, and shredded sharp cheddar for the second cheese to melt on top of the Fritos. If you can't find Monterey Jack, use Mozzarella, or Swiss.

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Spray a 6-quart roaster pan with non-stick spray. ***(Clara buys disposable half-size steam table pans at CostMart and uses one of those. She says to be careful to set it on a cookie sheet before you fill it, though. The disposable foil could buckle and you could end up with uncooked Mexican Hotdish all over your kitchen floor!)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: This hotdish is easy to make because once you've got the cubed chicken, all you have to do is open a bunch of cans. You don't even have to drain them. Just dump them in your baking pan, juice and all!**

* In the bottom of the pan or roaster, mix together the diced green chilies, the Jack cheese, the two cans of diced tomatoes, the chopped onion, the can of sliced black olives, the chopped bell pepper, and the UNCOOKED white rice. ***(Marguerite told Norman that she washes her hands and just mixes everything up with her fingers, but that's only if no one's around.)***
* Sprinkle the Taco seasoning over the top, add the chicken cubes and mix again.
* Add the chicken broth and stir everything up with a wooden spoon. ***(You can also get in there with your impeccably clean hands and mix it up that way.)***
* Cut the cold stick of butter into 8 pieces and put the pieces on top of the hotdish.
* Cover the pan with heavy duty foil ***(or a double thickness of regular foil)*** and turn down the edges to seal them.
* Bake the hotdish for 1½ hours ***(90 minutes)*** at 350°F.
* Take the baking out of the oven BUT DON'T TURN OFF THE OVEN YET. Remove the foil carefully as steam my escape.
* Sprinkle the Fritos on top of the hotdish, spreading them out as evenly as you can.
* Sprinkle the cheese on top of the Fritos as evenly as you can.
* Don't cover the hotdish. Return it to the oven to cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered, or until the cheese has melted.
* Let the baking pan or roaster sit for at least 10 minutes so the hotdish can firm up before you serve it.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: When I first had this hotdish at Clara and Marguerite's condo, they served it with white wine margaritas. If you don't want to serve alcohol, it would also be good with ice cold lemonade.**

**Hannah's 3rd Note: Norman served this with sour cream on the side for those who wanted to put a dollop on top of their serving. (I really liked it that way.) I think it would also be good with guacamole on the side for those who want to add that.**