Recipe: Easy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Can you say, "COMFORT FOOD"?!?!?!?!?!

When I was a school-based speech pathologist in Oklahoma, I worked with a lady who was a FANTASTIC cook...she always came to the lunch room with some heavenly-smelling dish leftover from the night before and made our ramen noodles and Lean Cuisines seem like dog food.  :) One day she came in with a dish of chicken & rice casserole and as it was heating in the microwave, the most delicious-smelling aroma began filling the room...

I asked her for the recipe and she told me she didn't really have a "recipe" but rather just threw things together.  So I had her make me a "recipe" of the things she just threw together and I've been making this version of chicken & rice casserole ever since.  Thanks Terri!!!

Here's what you'll need:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can (after emptying soup) of white or sherry wine (I prefer sherry)

1 can (after emptying soup) of long grain rice

1 stick of butter

1 pound of chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 small can sliced mushrooms (this was my addition!)
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Splash of Kitchen Bouquet

Shredded cheese

To make the casserole:

Place chicken cubes in a 9x13 dish.  Melt the butter in a skillet; add other ingredients except chicken.  Stir to combine and then pour over chicken in dish.  Cover with foil and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  When done, sprinkle with cheese and re-cover with foil for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  That's it!  It's sooooo easy and soooooo good!  I've also made it with water instead of the wine and it was still really tasty. 

The photo above does NOT do this dish justice!  Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think!  I know you'll be hooked!!!  :)