Broccoli Casserole

  If you want to impress yourself and try to make people you are a decent cook then casseroles are always an easy way to go. I know it sounds like what you would expect little old ladies to bring to a Sunday church social or picnic but believe me when I say you can get a lot of mileage out of a casserole. 

  One of my favorite casserole dishes is also one of the easiest to make - Broccoli Casserole! It is also easy to change it up to suit your tastes. You can leave out the rice, or add in more chicken or more broccoli or even add in a can of mushrooms. For our purposes here though we’re going to make a basic broccoli casserole. So get your ingredients, put on your old t-shirt (cause guys don’t wear aprons you know!) and let’s get started!

Ingredients:

2 10oz. Cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 12oz. Can Chunk Chicken breast

1 10oz. Box of Frozen Chopped Broccoli

1 Cup of Rice (uncooked)

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

  Pre-heat your oven to 450°.

  First of all you need to either thaw or get out your Chopped Broccoli and once thawed set it aside. Next, go ahead and cook your rice. Bring a cup and a half of water to a boil on the stove top and add in your 1 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil then slowly pour in the rice. Cover and let come to a boil again. When it reaches boiling point turn the heat down and let it simmer. If you want an easier way to make rice I highly recommend buying a microwave rice cooker, these things are fantastic! If you have one then just cook your rice in it in the microwave!

  While your rice is cooking either on the stove or in the microwave you can prepare the rest of the dish. Open your cans of Cream of Mushroom soup and empty both into a 2 quart casserole dish. Next drain your can of Chunk Chicken Breast then empty the chicken into the casserole dish with your Cream of Mushroom soup. Add in your Chopped Broccoli and mix all this together by hand. Sometimes the chunks of chicken may be a little large so feel free to cut them into smaller pieces if you desire. Once your rice is done add it to the mixture and again stir by hand until it is well blended.

  If you prefer more broccoli or chicken or actual mushrooms then this would be the point you would add them in and stir it all together. 

  Take a piece of aluminum foil and cover the entire dish then put in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the dish and remove the foil. At this point you can add a little flair if you like and sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top or even some canned french fried onion rings. At any rate once you have it uncovered stick it back in the oven and cook it again for another 5 to 10 minutes or until you either get a slight browning or your cheese is well melted. Then remove and let cool a few minutes before spooning out a generous portion and enjoy!

  One additional note… I don’t care to add salt or pepper when I prepare this particular meal since the mushroom soup may be salty enough so I leave that chore to each person when the food is on their plate.