Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

 You can prepare this one and have it in the oven in five minutes or less.  It is very tasty.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 pkgs. Knorr Taco Rice

3 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)

1 can corn, drained

1 can rotel

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken stock

Put all into a prepared 13x9 pan

Mix well.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and add 2 cups shredded cheese over the top.  Bake for 10 more minutes.  Let rest for about 10 minutes.  Serve, topped with any or all of the following:

Crushed tortilla chips

Cilantro, chopped

Sour Cream

Salsa

Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake

 I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a video of a guy cooking a dish.  I thought it looked good, so I watched and then rewatched and wrote down the recipe.  I am so glad I did!  This was absolutely delicious.  We both can't wait until I make it again.  It went so well with our fresh garden tomatoes.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake

For the chicken:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used 4 thighs, next time I will use more)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

For the Casserole:

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic

2 cups broccoli florets (next time I will use more)

1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp. thyme

1 T. lemon zest

1 T. butter

1 T. lemon juice

Mix together the rub ingredients for the rub and rub over the chicken.  Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350

Heat the oil in a large oven safe skillet.  Add the chicken and sear until browned on one side and easily releases from the pan- about 4-5 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Over med. heat, add the onion and salt and sauté until onion is beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and broccoli and cook for 1 minute.  Add the rice and heat for 1 minute.  Stir in the cream, chicken stock, thyme and zest.  Bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and place the browned chicken, seared side up on top of the rice.  Cover with a lid or foil.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and put small pieces of butter over the rice.  Bake uncovered until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 160- about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Squeeze the lemon juice over it and serve. Man, this was good.  And the leftovers were just as good.  

Chili Crisp Patties

 This is a tasty little lunch.

Crab and Swiss Rice Patties

Mix some leftover rice (about 1/2 cup) with 1 egg and some chili crisp. 

This stuff is hot, so add to taste.   Form into a patty and fry or cook in the air fryer until the egg is cooked and it is a bit crispy. It looks kind of like a pancake. Top with crab (or imitation crab) and a slice of Swiss cheese.  Put in the air fryer or oven until cheese is melted.  

Chicken and Rice

 This is a delicious casserole.  I have just made it once, but it will be made again.  Both my husband and I loved it.

Chicken and Rice

2 cans cream of celery soup

3 -4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 cups uncooked rice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Grated cheese, to taste

Heat oven to 375.  Spray a 13x9 pan or I used my enamel Dutch oven because it has a tight-fitting lid and well, because everything I make in it is delicious. 

In a bowl, mix the soup, chicken broth, and melted butter.  Add the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.  Spread the rice mixture in the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake until the rice is tender.  About 1 hour and 15 minutes (Ours was done after about 50 minutes)

Uncover and sprinkle with desired amount and type of cheese.  Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  

Cheesy Chicken Thighs and Rice

This casserole is delicious!  

 Cheesy Chicken Thighs with Rice

6-8 chicken boneless chicken thighs

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup

3 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 bunch broccoli, cut up and par boiled (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 or a large casserole dish.

In a large bowl, combine the soups, milk, garlic, onion powder, paprika and red pepper flakes.  Spread the cooked rice in the bottom of the pan or dish.  Top with the chicken thighs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the pieces of broccoli all around the chicken. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and rice.   Work down into the rice with a fork. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, making sure the chicken is well cooked.

Broccoli Cheddar Rice Casserole

 This is not the exact recipe, but is reminiscent of a recipe my roommate in college would make.  We ate together, taking turns cooking, and she would often make her version of this recipe. It is an easy, meatless recipe, but you could add cooked chicken if you wish.  Or it could be served as a side dish.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

6 cups broccoli florets, chopped

2 cups cooked rice

4 T. butter

1 onion, diced

4 T. flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. paprika

4 T. Cream cheese, softened

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed

2 T. Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 2  qut casserole dish.  On the stove in a large saucepan, melt the butter over med. low heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, whisking.

Pour in the milk, whisking as you pour.  Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from the heat and add the seasonings.  Stir.  Add the cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.  Stir until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Blanche the broccoli in salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain.  Stir together the rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce and transfer it to your prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Mix together the crackers and butter and sprinkle over the casserole.  Bake about 35 minutes.  The top should be golden and the casserole bubbly.

Rice Bowls (or Plates)

 Kristen shared this recipe/ method that was a real hit with her large family.  It is easy and very healthy.  We tried it and loved it.  The leftovers are delicious.  Honestly, the hardest part was dicing the sweet potatoes.

Vegetable, Chicken, and Rice Bowls

Chicken breast, cut up and marinated in Teriyaki sauce of choice

Rice, cooked

Riced Cauliflower, optional

Vegetables of choice: 

Diced Sweet Potato

Frozen Brussel sprouts, thawed and halved

Onion, wedged

Broccoli florets

Cauliflower florets

Mushrooms, halved

Summer Squash, sliced

Soy beans, prepared separately- heated in microwave

Prepare the vegetables.  Put in a large bowl and add olive oil and salt and pepper.  Mix well with hands. Roast until soft. * 

Cook the rice.  You can just use riced cauliflower instead.  Or you can do both.

While vegetables are roasting, put the marinated chicken in a fry pan and cook until done. It just takes a few minutes. 

Serve in bowls or on plates:  Rice covered with chicken and veggies.  Serve with extra teriyaki sauce, if desired.

*We did two full sheet pans of vegetables which produced a lot of yummy leftover veggies for just the two of us.  After the chicken was gone, we ate them as sides, mixed them in eggs, etc.

Pork Tenderloin with Coconut Rice

 I got this delicious, crazy-good recipe from my sister, Joan.  She got it from our wonderful niece, Jodie.  You will want to try this one.

Pork Loin with Coconut Rice

2 pork tenderloins (2 come together in a package at Costco)

Rub:

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together on a plate.

Coat the tenderloins all around in the spice mixture.  Heat oil in an heavy oven-safe pot (enameled cast iron is great).  Brown all sides of the pork.  Take off the heat and cover the meat with 1 cup brown sugar, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, and 1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce.  Roast in a 375 oven for about 22 minutes.  Pork should be about 145 degrees when taken out.  It will heat to 155 as you let it sit.  Slice and serve with pan drippings and Coconut Rice.

Coconut Rice

1 1/2 cups rice

2 cups water

1 13-oz can coconut milk

1 cup sugar

Mix together in a rice cooker or on the stove.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and put a lid on.  Let cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

No- Peek Chicken and Rice

What's better than chicken and rice that cook in the same pot?  The leftovers of this dish were even better than the first day.

No Peek Chicken

1 6 ounce package long grain wild rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cans water
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13 x 9 pan.( Or I used my enameled cast iron pan with a lid and sprayed it)
Combine the rice, soups and water in the baking dish.  Arrange the chcken on top of the rice.  Season well with the salt and pepper.  Seal tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Check that the rice is done. Don't peek before then!

Mexican Rice

I got this recipe years ago from my niece, Sara, who got it from her mother-in-law who is of Mexican descent.  So it's the real deal.  It makes a great side dish with Mexican food.

Shown here with tamales and avocado

Sara's Mexican White Rice
2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
2 small garlic cloves
4 T. canola oil
1 small onion chopped
4 c. canned chicken broth
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 tsp. salt
Heat oil in large pot and add rice, garlic cloves and onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until rice is lightly browned. Add chicken broth and salt-- stir. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to very "low" setting and start timing for 30 to 45 minutes (I find it doesn't take this long.  Keep checking it.) Ten minutes before rice is done, add frozen peas, cover and finish cooking until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is tender. If rice has absorbed all liquid and it's not tender, add 1/8 cup water to it. Makes 8 servings.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Man, this was delicious.  We loved it.  And it was easy to make.  Give this one a try!

Creamy Lemon Chicken
2 or 3 boneless, skinless breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
1 1/2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 lemons: 1 juiced, 1 sliced
Fresh parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour.
Heat a skillet on med high heat and add the butter and oil.
Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and tender. (It took longer for me.)
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Pour the chicken stock in the pan and deglaze the pan stirring up the bits.  Add the cream and stir.  Season with the salt, pepper and lemon juice
Simmer together for a few minutes, then add back the chicken breasts and top with the sliced lemons. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve over potatoes, rice, or a bed of spinach.  Top with parsley and more sauce.

Omurice

Every Tuesday evening here, members of the branch at church gather for family home evening.  It’s kind of Japanese “Chopped” as two and sometimes a third always do the cooking.  Another lady in the branch donates vegetables, then these two ladies figure out what to make with them.  One goes shopping while the other starts chopping and cooking.  They come up with delicious meals.  One evening, this omurice was the delicious result.  It is easy, quick, and you have everything you need for it right now- probably.   Living here, we nearly always have leftover rice, but you may not.  But other than that, you’ve probably got everything.

This will make dinner for 4.  It’s easy to expand or reduce, depending on how many you need to feed.  It’s basically one cup of rice and one piece of meat person. 

Omurice

4 cups of cooked rice

1 onion, chopped

1 piece of meat per person, ie: chicken thigh cut up, 1 hot dog cut up, 1/3 lb. ground beef, bacon slices cut up, etc.  You can use as little or as much meat as you wish.  The one they served us just had a little bit of hot dog in it.

Oil (I use olive oil)

Salt and pepper

½ cup ketchup

½ cup frozen green peas

4 eggs

Heat some oil in a large fry pan. Add the meat and cook until done.  Add the onion and fry on medium heat until golden and translucent.

Add the cooked rice and stir and fry together for about 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Push the rice to the sides of the pan and pour the ketchup in the middle.  Spread the ketchup and cook just the ketchup alone for about 30 seconds, then stir the rice and ketchup together and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for 2 more minutes.  Divide the rice mixture into 1/4ths.  Put each ¼ into a bowl or other mold.  Traditionally, omurice is a sort of oval shape.  Turn bowl upside down on a plate.

  Repeat for all four bowls of rice.  Beat 1 egg with some salt and pour it into a small fry pan and move it around like you were making a crepe.  You want a crepe-like thin round sheet of egg.  Cook on one side til done, then gently turn it over.  When done, put the cooked egg over the rice like a blanket.  Tuck in the sides.  Repeat for the other three.  Serve immediately. 

Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a delicious and easy crock pot meal.  The ingredients can all be put in zipper plastic bag and frozen.  Then on the afternoon you want to eat it, put in the crockpot frozen and it will be done by dinner.  OR  you can just put the chicken in frozen and add the other ingredients.  Either way, it's a snap to make.  I also put the rice in my rice cooker and start it early(because it keeps it warm for hours after it's cooked) and put a fresh vegetable in the steamer above the rice cooker.  So everything is ready when we get home.  Be sure to salt the veggies in the steamer, though.

Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (they can be frozen)
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
3/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon rosemary
Salt and Pepper

Put all ingredients in the crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours on high.  When chicken is cooked, remove and shred with forks.  Put back in the sauce and mix well.  Serve over hot rice.

Pantry Pick of the Month: Cashew Nuts/ Crockpot Cashew Chicken

I had a bag of cashews in my pantry that needed to be used, so I looked for a recipe that had cashews.  I love Crockpot meals on busy days, and this was delicious.  I have to say the leftovers were even better than on the first day.  Serve over hot rice.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon pepper
Oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
1 tsp. ginger
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (these are hot)
1 cup(or more) cashews

Combine the flour and pepper in a large ziplock.  Add the chicken in batches and shake well to coat. ( I actually had to make more flour/pepper mixture to have enough to coat all of the chicken.) Heat a skillet over med-high heat and put the coated chicken in the hot skillet.  I did two batches so all of the chicken had room to brown.  Brown the chicken on each side for about two minutes.  Put the chicken in the crockpot.  In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.  Whisk together and pour over the chicken.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Add the cashews before serving.  Serve over hot rice.

Pressure Cooker Cinnamon Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

Serves: 4-6

Pressure Cooking Time: 5 min

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup long grain rice (I just used white rice)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins (amount to your liking)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (or to taste, I probably added more than this)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat milk, stir in the rice, butter, salt and cover.

2. Close and lock. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.

3. Release pressure using natural release method. Uncover, stir in the sugar, vanilla and raisins. Add milk to achieve desired consistency. Serve and enjoy!

I got this recipe from fagoramerica.com.

Pantry Pick of the Month: Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce/ Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables over Rice

My pantry pick of the month  for August was this Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce.  I bought it at Trader Joe's.  I added chicken and vegetables and a couple of other things and served it over rice.  It was easy and delicious.  

Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables over Rice

1 jar Thai Green Curry Sauce

2-3 chicken breasts, chopped

2 or 3 carrots, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

Coconut milk, opt.

3 Tablespoons sugar

Cilantro, chopped

Put oil in a skillet and add the garlic. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Add the vegetables listed( or  you can substitute a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (as shown).  Saute the potato, onion, and carrots until soft.  Add the curry sauce and sugar.  I added more coconut milk because I thought it needed it, but you don't have to.  Taste and add more sugar or coconut milk or salt to your liking.  Serve over hot rice.  

Hawaiian Haystacks

 I don't know who thought of this strange combination of ingredients, but it's delicious!

Hawaiian Haystacks
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can or bottle of chicken gravy
1 cup chicken broth (you can use the broth from the chicken you cooked)
4 cups cooked rice (it can be brown or white rice)
1 cup or so grated Cheese
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 package chow mein noodles
1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds
In a saucepan, stir together the soup, gravy and broth.  Add the chicken breasts.  Stir and heat through.  Put all of the ingredients in separate small bowls, and let everyone layer their own haystacks.  This is a great meal to expand and feed to a large crowd.

Crockpot Beef and Gravy over Rice or Mashed Potatoes

Crockpot Beef and Gravy over Rice, Noodles or Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 onion, sliced thin (optional)
1/2 can water
Cooked rice, noodles or mashed potatoes

Spray your crockpot and put in the cubed beef and the soups.  Add a 1/2 can of water (more if your crockpot cooks pretty hot)  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours. I put my meat in frozen and cook it on high.  It's done and so tender in about 5-6 hours.  Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes with a dollop of sour cream on top.   Couldn't be easier!!
This only serves about four people, so if you have a bigger family, I suggest doubling it.  At least double the sauce parts.

Chicken Divan

I think my favorite meal my mother made was chicken divan . . . .well, that and tacos. Hmmm, her waffles were pretty darned good, too.  Oh, and her spaghetti . . .  Well, anyway, ONE of my favorite meals.   It's old-fashioned comfort food at it's best.  This is my mom's recipe.  It makes me think of her every time I make it.  She loved it and so do I.

 Chicken Divan
1 cup dry rice, cooked (it will make about 3 cups cooked rice)
1 big bunch broccoli
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped or shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup

1onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Grated cheese for topping
Cut the broccoli into spears and put in a saucepan.  Salt and add 2 inches or so  of water.  Turn on high.  When it comes to a boil, turn off stove and cover with a lid.  Let it steam while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
In a large bowl, mix together the soups, sour cream, mayonaise and lemon juice.
Spray a 13 x 9 pan well.  Add the rice.  Put about half of the sauce in with the rice and mix well.  Spread over the bottom of the pan.  Then layer the chicken, then the drained broccoli spears, then the remaining sauce.  With a fork, work the sauce down into the layers a bit.  Then top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted- about 30 minutes.

I nearly always serve this with Creamy Jello Salad.  They just seem to go together.

Kalua Pork and Coconut Rice

One of my husband's favorite foods is Kalua Pork from Hawaii.  I got the recipe from a lady who lived in Hawaii for many years.  It's very simple.  You can use the least expensive pork roast, so it's not very expensive, either. It's delicious served with rice.  I recently saw this recipe for coconut rice on The Sister's Cafe website and made it with the Kalua pork.  They were delicious together.  The pork is salty and went so well with the sweetened rice.  But plain rice is delicious, too.

Kalua Pork Roast
4-6 lb. pork roast
1-2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
1-2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

With a sharp knife, cut slits into the roast all over.  Put the salt in the slits and rub all over the roast.  Then rub the Liquid smoke all over it and put it in the crock pot( the lady I got the recipe from always put it in a roasting bag and then in the crock pot.  That sure makes clean up easy!)  Cover and cook on very low for many hours, depending on your crock pot.  I like to cook it overnight, and half the next day on Sundays and eat it for Sunday lunch.  I add about 1 cup of water because my crock pot cooks fast.  When very well done, shred the meat.  Be sure you mix the juices back into the meat.

Coconut Rice
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups dry, rinsed rice (I always use short grain)
1 cup water
4 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put all in the rice cooker and turn on.  You can also cook it on the stove.