Saturday Share Recipe - Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole

 Happy Saturday! It's a beautiful sunny day here in Gulf Coast Texas with a high projected to be 70 degrees F.

I would love to be outside, but I'm working on more book covers today. I've set a deadline for myself—all new book covers by the end of this month.

So I'm cooking easy things like this Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole for tonight. Actually, this is my adaptation of a recipe from my Mom's generation.

You can use cooked chicken in this or raw chicken breasts. Just adapt the time to reflect cooked chicken.

Also, this recipe calls for Uncle Ben's Wild Rice which includes parboiled long grain white rice. If you want to use plain wild rice instead, add your own spices and adjust the cooking time. 

I should point out that now Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice and Wild Rice now sports a label that says "No Artificial Flavors and No Colors from Artificial Sources." 

If you choose to use plain wild rice, here are the spices and/or fresh vegetables to add. These amounts are based on my family's taste palate. You may want to use more or less depending on your taste.

CREAM SOUPS

Using Campbell's cream soups has long been part of making casseroles in America. However, not all cream soups are equal. Read the label ingredients. I have found that some house brands at supermarkets tend to use less of what I consider unhealthy ingredients.

Also, many home cooks have cracked the code of what makes a cream soup. I'll publish a post about those recipes eventually.

However, using a canned cream soup once in a while is like having a piece of candy once in a while. It shouldn't greatly impact your health regimen as long as you're not eating it every day.

Spices to add to sauce mixture if using plain wild rice

1 teaspoon dry parsley OR 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon dry minced onion or onion powder OR 1/4 cup small diced onion

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds OR 1/4 cup diced celery

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, sage, thyme, marjoram, and  rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

SPICY CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE (Serves 6 - 8)

Ingredients

6 medium size chicken breasts, washed, patted dry, salted, and browned in olive oil or butter

1 can cream of celery soup or cream of chicken

1 can cream of musroom soup

1/2 can of water

1 seeded and finely diced poblano or jalapeno pepper, optional

1/4 cup diced carrots

1/4 - 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, seeded (I actually use half a can of Rotel)

1 small box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Mix

Directions

(1) Preheaat the oven to 350 degrees F. (176 degrees C.) and prepare a rectangular baking dish.

(2) In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the two soups, water, vegetables, and wild rice mix. If using plain rice, add the spices.

(3) Pour this mixture into the baking dish and arrange the chicken breasts on top.

(4) For raw chicken, bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. Use a meat theremometer if uncertain. For cooked, chicken bake 20-30 minutes until rice is done and casserole is heated through.

There is a certain percentage of the population who think a casserole should always be topped with bubbly cheese. If that's your household, feel free to sprinkle the top with grated cheddar cheese and pop it under the broiler before serving.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

That's it for me. I'm headed to the kitchen to throw this family pleaser together. Bon Appétit.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.