One Pot Southwest Chicken and Rice

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe (my new favorite place for recipes - she's brilliant!)

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced (I didn't use this much - my really huge clove was probably equal to maybe 2 normal size cloves)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn (I just used a can)
4 ounces cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Salsa and sour cream for serving (we got it out, but didn't even use any because the rice and chicken were so flavorful by themselves)

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. The chicken will cook more in a subsequent step. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

To the pot, add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook until the edges are just slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Return the chicken to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter or plate. Stir the black beans and corn into the pot. Add the cheese and cilantro. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the rice with the chicken, adding salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Notes:
I tried this in my rice cooker - worked like a charm.  I loved the one pot idea, and combining that with the rice cooker feature meant that I didn't have to heat up the house with the stove.  Lovely concept on a 95 degree day!  We both thought this dish tastes a lot like the tortilla soup that we made a ton of this winter - just in a thicker, non-soup form.  Mighty tasty.  And easy.  Win win.