Ingredients:

• 4 slices of hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters ( can be left off)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter plus 2 Tbsp melted (if you leave off the bread you don’t have to worry about the extra 2)
• 5 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (also not necessary for taste)
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper (can add more or less depending on how spicey you like things)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (milk works as a good substitute)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 (1-pound) bag of frozen peas and carrots (3 cups) ( can be left out for those picky eaters)
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (still good without it)

Steps:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pulse bread and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 6 pulses. Spread crumbs evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and bake occasionally stirring, until lightly golden and dry, 20 to 30 minutes. Let crumbs cool completely, about 20 minutes, then toss with 2 tablespoons parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. (This is just for a crust and doesn’t have to be included)
2. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees—melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and cream.
3. Add chicken and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board.
4. Stir rice into liquid in the pot, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the rice has absorbed much of the liquid and is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. ( I used a knife and just cut it up) Off heat, stir in shredded chicken and any accumulated juices, peas and carrots, cheddar, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with crumb topping.
6. Bake until sauce is bubbling and hot throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley before serving.

The picture in the book of how the casserole should look like if you do everything.

Make Ahead Instructions from cookbook:

• Casserole, prepared through step 5, can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• To bake, cover with greased aluminum foil and bake in a 400-degree oven until hot throughout, 40 to 50 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until crumbs are crisp, 10 to 20 minutes, before garnishing as directed.

Chicken and Rice Casserole is something I grew up with because it was easy for my mom to throw together on a busy school night. This casserole is a bit more grown-up than the one I grew up with, but it was super easy and tasted great even leaving out a few things.

The casserole my mom used to make was just chicken, rice, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup all cooked together. This recipe as I said is very similar and honestly tasted almost just like mom used to make. I was able to prepare it and enjoy it before running out the door to head to work.

My boyfriend liked it so much he asked me to take it to work for lunch the next day. If you need something that the kids will enjoy and you don’t have to feel guilty about cooking I highly recommend it.

The cookbook I used.

This recipe came from a new cookbook I recently got called The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook. It does not provide nutrition information, however, I was able to find a basic guide that should give you an idea at least.

Nutrition Information: