Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Good afternoon! Are most of you busy prepping for Thanksgiving on Thursday? Anyone out there daring enough to brave the crowds on Black Friday? I can feel the Holiday rush about to start. Let's talk about casserole's now. I'm not sure if I'd ever had a casserole before I moved to Texas. I really have no memory of my Mother ever making one, so these were pretty foreign to me when I moved here. When I started cooking, which also wasn't until I moved here, I loved to experiment in the kitchen. Throw a can of cream of something, some rice or noodles, some kind of protein, some cheese, and you have a meal. I know a lot of people turn their noses to casserole's, but to be honest, I fell in love with them. I guess you could say I have a soft spot in my heart for them because it's one of the first memories I have of something I started cooking on my own. I gave a broccoli rice casserole a shot 3 years ago or so, and it was horrible. I never used to be able to cook white rice, it was always sticky, or crunchy with a puddle of water still in the bottom. I wasn't great at cooking broccoli either. I know, just steam it, right? I just couldn't get it to all come together. My sister in-law inspired me to give it another try though, and I'm happy to say that this time, I got it right!! This was fabulous and I'm so happy that now I have another great go-to casserole. Do any of you have yummy casserole dishes to share? Please leave a link in the comment section, I'd love to see!

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Ingredients:

3 Cups Water

2 1/4 Cups Long Grain White Rice

1/2 Cup Fat-Free Milk

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 12 0z. Bag Frozen Chopped Broccoli

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1/2 Cup American Cheese, shredded

8 oz. Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water and a dash of salt to a boil, then add rice, stir, and turn heat to medium-low and cover. Cut your chicken into cubes and cook it in a fry pan with a olive oil until done, then season with a little salt & pepper; set aside. At this point, your rice should be done, uncover and fluff with a fork, then turn the heat off and cover; set aside. In a deep sauce pan, add your soups, and milk. Once it starts to get hot, add your American cheese, and half of your sharp cheese. Once the cheese is melted, add the cubed chicken, and combine everything thoroughly. Pour soup mixture over rice the stir everything until evenly incorporated; set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, steam your broccoli in the microwave using the directions on the back of your package. Add broccoli to rice mixture and mix well. Spread your mixture in a casserole dish and flatten out then cover with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.