Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Mushroom Casserole

(picture from For the Love of Cooking)

There is nothing especially adventurous or amazing about my take on this dish from For the Love of Cooking; it is welcome-home comfort food, and it was gobbled up promptly and enjoyed by everyone. The water chestnuts add a delicious, subtle crunch to an otherwise soft and creamy dish. This is a good way to get some more veggies into my kids. This recipe makes a lot: a full-to-the-brim 13 x 9" casserole dish. I chose to make the full amount, and freeze some of it in another dish for later. I froze about 1/4 of it, and still fed 4 adults and 3 kids with the part I cooked (everyone went for seconds--that always warms my heart). :)

1 T. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 lb. mushrooms, quartered

1-2 stalks celery, diced

2 c. uncooked rice (about 6 cups cooked)

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

1 6-8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts, diced.

1-2 c. broccoli florets

1 10 oz. can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 10 oz. can Cream of Celery soup

1 10 oz. can Cream of Mushroom soup* (these soups could easily be changed for what you have)

1/4 c. light mayonnaise

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated (opt.)

salt and pepper to taste

bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions, adding chicken bouillon and parsley to water for flavor. In a heated pan add 1/2 tbsp oil and cook mushrooms until golden brown - remove from pan. Add the other 1/2 tbsp of oil to the pan and cook onions and celery until soft. Steam broccoli until just fork tender, then cool. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Put into a baking dish, top with bread crumbs, and heat uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving. I served this with a green salad, jello, and rolls. Enjoy!

Makes approx. 10-12 servings

Chicken and Black Beans Taquitos

I made these for dinner tonight. Yum! This recipe is from a friend of mine, who has it posted on her blog, www.just-because-i-am-me.blogspot.com, along with some other fantastic recipes. From Shaina:

"This recipe is from a Taste of Homes Cooking Light recipe book. My kids love it. While you are at it, make a double batch and freeze the rest. I love preparing once, and using again and again.

Chicken and Black Bean Taquitos

1 ½ tsp olive oil
1 pound ground chicken (or 1-2 cups of cooked chicken, diced)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can of diced green chiles
1 Tbsp cumin and chili powder
10-20 flour tortillas (depends on how much filling you use for each taquito)
Cooking spray

Heat oil, brown chicken. Place chicken, cheese, beans, green chiles and seasonings in food processor and pulse until beans are coarsely chopped.
Spoon about 3 tbsp of mixture in a skinny line across lower third of each tortilla and roll up nice and snug. Slice in half, secure with toothpicks if needed, and flash freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen. Then, remove from freezer, place in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake them, line the taquitos on baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden. We like to serve these with a side of spanish rice. Also, Tostitos has a jar of Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce that makes a perfect dipping sauce for these taquitos."