Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Casserole!

What's your favorite kind of casserole? So far the only kind I've made has involved chicken and rice, along with various "cream of" soups. Delicious, don't get me wrong, but I have a feeling Hotty would appreciate a little variety.

In the meantime, if you want an idea, do you want to hear about what I made for dinner last night? The recipe came from a book my sister put together for us last year for Christmas - it's an old favorite from my childhood. :)

1 cup uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup (I didn't have this, so I used another can of mushroom)
1 can water
1 packet ranch mix (I added this - Mom never used it.)
2 Tbsp. parsley (I left that one out, because of the ranch)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Place frozen chicken in a lightly greased casserole dish, and pour mixture over. Top with 1/2 to 1 stick of margarine (I used butter). Bake for 1 hour (I left it in for a couple extra minutes - 10, I think - because my chicken was frozen; I'm pretty sure it should be thawed).


Verdict - Delicious, of course. I can't tell you how much I LOVE that ranch mix. Although the rice (I think the rice that was on top) was a little crunchy, of which I'm definitely not a fan.


Edited to add: It's true, I didn't say how much chicken. I use 4-6 pieces; Mom always used breasts, but I find I prefer thighs.