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.

Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

It's been awhile since my last post, huh? We've had a lot going on lately and to be honest, I don't feel up to blogging once my day has caught up with me. I've been able to rest a lot this weekend though, so now I want to share something with you that I made this past week. These wedges were outrageously good. Yes, they were THAT good. I'm not usually too crazy about potato wedges unless they are nice and crispy, and these were! You won't believe how easy they are either. You can absolutely steam them by just covering them with some plastic wrap, I used a bowl from a set I got for our wedding that has these plastic lids that have a little vent that you can open or close to steam food - they are one of my favorite kitchen things that I own! They come in so handy in so many different ways. If you have a big bag of potatoes in your pantry (I always do) then use a few of them to whip these up! Also, you can make them to your liking. You can just make basic fries, or you can add a seasoning salt to them, you could infuse the oil with a multitude of herbs. Give 'em a shot!
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Ingredients:

3 Russet Potatoes, washed and cut into wedges

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Pour olive oil into a small saucepan and add your garlic and heat up until just warm. Place your potatoes in a large microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons of your oil. Cover with a lid that has a steam slot, or with plastic wrap. Microwave for 6 minutes, stopping at 3 to stir them around. Add your remaining olive oil and your parmesan cheese to the potatoes and mix well. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes in a pre-heated 450 degree oven, turning once mid-way through. Sprinkle with additional parmesan before serving, if desired.