Chicken Rice Casserole

Marie's Note:

A great use for leftover chicken or turkey. Uses no Cream of Whatever soup. A creamy wonderful one dish meal of chicken, rice 'n peas, topped off with a mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and baked until golden brown.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 tablespoons butter , divided
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8; teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cooked rice
• ¾ cup frozen peas , thawed
• 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
2. Gradually stir in broth and milk, stirring until thick and smooth.
3. Stir in chicken and add salt and pepper; set aside.
4. Grease a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish.
5. Spread rice in prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the peas and then pour creamed chicken mixture over.
6. Dot with remaining tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese which you mix together.
7. Bake at 400° until hot and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Reviews

[jesikae]

On flavor, this got 5 stars. Loved it. Substituted poultry seasoning for thyme but kept everything else the same. Cooking it gets 4 - The rice on the bottom of the casserole dried out and got crunchy which received complaints... next time, I would make more sauce and mix said sauce into the rice to keep it moist.

[A Messy Cook]

I loved that this used a white sauce, not cream of ?! soup. Changes I made on the advice of other reviewers: 3 cups of cooked brown rice, doubled the salt, and added some oregano and Old Bay. Glad I did. It was delicious, and not too much sauce.

[CaliCook]

I made this for dinner to use up the leftovers in my fridge. Only changes were to add more seasoning to the sauce.
Turned out pretty good.