Chicken, Brown Rice, and Veggie Casserole

Chicken, Brown Rice, and Veggie Casserole

Yields: Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup sour cream (or sub full-fat Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago or fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (finely shredded melts best)
• 1 cup whole wheat or panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy non-stick pan and saute broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic for about 4-5 minutes, just until tender. Season ground thyme, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, and lightly with salt and pepper.

3) Add diced chicken and brown rice into pan with the veggie mixture, and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

5) In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, chicken stock, and chopped parsley. Then stir in Asiago cheese and cheddar cheese. Gently stir the sour cream mixture into the rice mixture.

6) In a separate small bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

7) Spoon rice mixture into the 2-quart casserole dish and press down to evenly distribute. Top with bread crumbs.

8) Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until casserole is slightly bubbling around the edges and golden brown on top. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end, if the top isn't brown enough but the casserole is warmed through. Serve warm.

Freezer Meal Instructions:

Put casserole together and freeze it before baking. When you're ready to cook it, let it thaw in the fridge over night. If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, you'll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven.