What's Cookin' Wenesday~ Chicken and Rice Casserole

Today is my first cooking post~ so please forgive me! This is one of my Mom's old standbys for dinner~ one that I now use as a standby too! I think I could do blindfolded... and I practically did this time!



We start with some basic ingredients: chicken, carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, wild rice, mozzarella cheese, and chicken broth. You'll also need a little bit of olive oil, butter, salt and pepper, and any other seasonings you would like to add! My Mom always used broccoli and cauliflower too, but I don't always have those or add them. You could really use any veggies you liked I'm sure.


First, start your rice~ my Mom always used Uncle Ben's Long grain and Wild rice~ and that's probably still my favorite way! But for this dish, since I wanted it gluten free so my son could eat too, I used the Trader Joe's Basmati Rice Medley instead. I make my rice with chicken broth if I have it handy~ it makes the rice taste a little richer. This time I used two cups of the dry rice, and I ended up with WAY too much rice! So, if you're feeding a standard family of 4 or so, probably one cup of dry rice is enough. Follow the package directions and get that going!

While your rice is cooking, chop up the vegetables (and chicken if you're using raw chicken!). For my dinner, I used the Trader Joe's precooked chicken breast strips. Super easy and then I don't have to mess with the chicken either. But if you're using raw chicken, saute the chicken in olive oil until it's cooked, then remove from your pan. Add a little more olive oil and saute your veggies until they are tender. Not cooked all the way though! Just get them softened up~ about 5 or 10 min.

Hopefully by this time your rice is about done.... so now you take everything and mix it up~ chicken, rice, veggies. Then add in about 8 oz of mozzarella cheese and mix that in too. Salt and pepper to taste. Put this whole concoction in a casserole dish, and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. The top will get slightly browned. Really, all you need to do is heat it through and melt the cheese.



Voila! That's it! I served ours with fresh asparagus, cucumbers, and pear slices. Although now I see I should've used cantaloup as that would've been prettier on the plate. :-) I'd love to hear if you make this and what you thought!!! Enjoy!