Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice

Sometimes I have intense cravings (and no, I'm not pregnant!), and I just can't stop thinking about certain foods (or flavor combinations).  As much as I may try to ignore these cravings, they'll creep into my mind and just stick there until I finally give in.  (Let's hope I have a little more self control when I actually am pregnant since I'd like to avoid packing on 50 pounds ... That's a lot for a short person like myself!)

Recently I was craving something with chicken and broccoli.  I started searching for some recipes online, but nothing really sounded good.  And then, after way too much time on Pinterest, I found the recipe I'll be sharing today.

I made several changes, and the result was exactly what I was looking for.  It was creamy and cheesy and delicious ... Total comfort food.  This is a perfect meal for a cozy night in, especially a chilly night (and I'm sure we'll be having more of those in the near future since it's November and all).

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Casseroles aren't really the easiest thing to get a good picture of, but this one wasn't too bad.  Just trust me ... This meal is awesome!
















































Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Life in the Lofthouse.


Ingredient List:
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 10 oz. cans cream of chicken soup (I always use the 98% fat free cream of chicken soup from Campbell's)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayonnaise)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (I also used light sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar Jack cheese, divided
  • 1 bag frozen broccoli cuts (I used a 1 lb bag)
  • 1 tbsp garlic salt + 1 additional tsp garlic salt  (Some will go into the chicken while it cooks and the additional will go into the actual casserole)
  • 2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend + 1 additional tsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend  (As with the garlic salt, some will go into the chicken and the additional will go into the casserole)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 6 cups cooked rice (I used basmati rice and cooked it in a half chicken broth/half water mixture to give it some extra flavor)

Instructions:

1.  Place chicken, water, chicken broth, 1 tbsp garlic salt, and 2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend in a crockpot and cover.

2.  Allow the chicken to cook for 6-8 hours on low (or, if you're like me and don't start the crockpot early enough, you can also cook it on high for an hour, then switch it over to low for another 3 hours).

3.  Near the end of the cooking time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4.  After it has thoroughly cooked, remove the chicken from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board.

5.  Shred the chicken with two forks (it should be tender enough that it pretty much falls apart).

6.  Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

7.  In a large bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, white wine, mayonnaise, sour cream, broccoli, shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the cheddar Jack cheese, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, 1 tsp garlic salt, and 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend.

8.  Pour the mixture into the 9x13 inch pan.

9.  Top the casserole with an additional 1/2 cup each of the mozzarella and cheddar Jack cheeses.

10.  Bake the casserole for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

As I said earlier, this casserole is perfect comfort food (especially when served over rice).  It's also a very complete meal, so you don't necessarily need a side dish (though I'm sure either a salad or a steamed vegetable would be a good option if you wanted something else).

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