Broccoli, Cheese and Rice Casserole

So I kept it classic!

Sort of. A little bit. With a smidge of embellishments. But nothing weird. Maybe.

Actually, I feel the need to tell you straight up immediately this second that there IS a can of condensed soup in this. Don’t delete me from your life! I couldn’t help it. When I read the ingredients on the can as my soul fairies guided me to do, I said out loud to no one in the aisle, “Eh, it’s not that bad. Let’s live today!”

Guys it was either condensed soup or crack cocaine, so.

Check it! Pretty straightforward. The only tiny tweakeroos are a nicer cheese (aged white cheddar! but use anything that makes you sing.), onion powder (I used this because I didn’t have an onion, but you can definitely dice up an onion and violently throw it in.), and homemade buttery breadcrumbs (you can absolutely use panko if you’re trying to get through that discounted package you bought a year ago at Trader Joe’s.)

Another thing. I TRIED to make this with uncooked rice. Over and over. And it just got beyond obnoxious to figure out that ish, so I went back to the basics, and cooked the dang rice. And all was well in the world and my soul.

You’ll just mix the cooked white rice, the broccoli (that you’ll sort of chop down to make the florets more bite-sized and not ancient tree trunks), the condensed soup (JUST BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS), onion powder, GRATED garlic (like with a mandolin if you have one), a big pinch of salt and the milk!

Then spread the broccoli mix in a casserole dish, and nestle the chicken tenderloins down all in it everywhere. You can def use breasts or thighs here. I just found the tenderloins to be rather adventurous on this particular day in early January of 2019.

Sprinkle allllll that grated aged white cheddar over the dish, then sprinkle with the buttery breadcrumbs that you just whipped together in a little skillet.

And you may ask yourself, “Where is that large automobile?”

Wait, that’s something else.

And you may ask yourself, “But will those breadcrumbs burn!?”

Naw, dude. They’ll just crisp up even more and deepen in color. You’re all good.

In a hot oven for 30. BAM.

Cheese is browned and bubbly. Breadcrumbs are little crispy jewels of mouth glory waiting to be discovered on thy tongue. Chicken is gorgeously tender, and the broccoli pops in color and cooks so perfectly in the milk mix that you feel like punching something.

I’ll get out of your way.

I tried to get a better photo without a dangling broccoli leg, but alas. This is life.

I NEED you to make this. For the sake of WINTER, your love of COMFORT, the fact that we’re IMAGINARY BEST FRIENDS. Or heck, do it for the children.

It’s supposed to snow this weekend. Now you know how to handle this. ^^

Broccoli, Cheese and Rice Casserole

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Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 4 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped (from a 12-oz bag)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3 garlic gloves, minced or grated
• 1 (10 oz ) can condensed chicken soup
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk
• 1 (8 oz) block of aged white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins
• 2 Tbs. butter
• About a cup of breadcrumbs (homemade if possible! Just throw some torn bread into a food processor and pulse until you get breadcrumbs.)
• Coarse salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, chopped broccoli, grated garlic, onion powder, condensed chicken soup, milk, and a large pinch of salt. Transfer and spread the mix out into a 9x13 casserole dish.
3. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs with a small pinch of salt, and toss until the crumbs turn a light golden brown and begin to crisp, about three minutes.
4. Nestle the chicken into the casserole and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole, along with the breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and browning. (If you need to broil it for a minute or two at the end, go for it! Just don’t take your eagle eye off it, or the breadcrumbs will burn. And I don’t want you mad at me.)
5. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve it up!
6. Serves about six.

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https://bevcooks.com/2019/01/broccoli-cheese-and-rice-casserole/

I mentioned that mama said knock you out, right?