Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole

This is one of the few recipes cooked on high in this book. Using minute rice means the rice will be cooked correctly, and the shorter 4-hour cooking time makes this the perfect meal to put in the slow cooker to have ready for when you and the family get home from church or an afternoon at the kids’ ball games.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• Nonstick spray
• 2 (10 ¾-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (15-ounce) jar Cheez Whiz
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 soup cans hot water
• ½ cup milk
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained
• 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 cups instant rice
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• Optional: 1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Optional: Paprika
• 1 (4-ounce) bag blanched slivered almonds

1. Treat the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the mushroom soup, Cheez Whiz, mayonnaise, lemon juice, water, and milk; stir to combine.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and chop the water chestnuts; stir into the soup mixture in the slow cooker along with the broccoli florets, rice, onion, celery, and sliced mushrooms if using. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until the rice is cooked through.
3. Taste the casserole for seasoning; stir in salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle paprika over the casserole, if desired, and top with the almonds.

Disguise the Leftovers

Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer the leftover Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole to a casserole dish treated with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes while you pulse 2 slices of bread in the food processor until they’re fine bread crumbs; mix together with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Top the casserole with the buttered bread crumbs and bake for 10 more minutes or until the casserole is heated through and the bread crumbs are golden brown.