02/08/2025
🍽️ Arroz Con Pollo – aka the “IS Special” at Home! 🇲🇽
My fellow Puerta fans, you know the IS Special hits just right—but let’s be real, it’s not cheap! This homemade version feeds our family of 4 with leftovers that reheat like a dream. 🙌 After testing a million combos, I finally perfected a Mexican rice and white cheese sauce that we love—and it’s now on regular rotation in our house. Enjoy the deliciousness (and the savings)! 💰✨
👇 Here’s how to recreate it at home:
🌶️ Seasoned Chicken
1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 pack fajita seasoning
Drizzle of olive oil
🧀 White Cheese Sauce
1 can evaporated milk
1 small can diced jalapeños (or green chiles for milder spice)
1 lb white American cheese (Kraft singles work and save money!)
8 oz sliced pepper jack cheese
🍚 Mexican Rice
2 cups white rice
3 tbsp oil
4 cups water + 1½ cups more midway
8 oz tomato sauce
1 small can green chiles
2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder (a pantry MVP around here)
👩‍🍳 Instructions
For the Chicken:
1. Toss chicken with olive oil and fajita seasoning in a bowl.
2. Spread on a foil-lined, greased baking sheet.
3. Bake at 400°F for ~15 min or until cooked through. (Optional: Broil at the end for a nice char!)
For the Rice:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
2. Add rice and stir constantly until light brown—watch closely!
3. Stir in 4 cups water, tomato sauce, chiles, and bouillon.
4. Bring to a boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Add the extra 1½ cups water, bring back to a boil.
6. Cover, reduce to low, and simmer 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and let sit (covered!) for 20 minutes. Trust the process.
For the Cheese Sauce:
1. Toss everything in a saucepan and melt over low heat.
2. Seriously. That’s it. 🫶
