Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli

Best description of this casserole is .......COMFORT. You will find warmth, cream, and cheese all rolled in to one delicious dish. My mother-in-law gave me the original recipe when my husband and I first married. Over the years, I have adjusted a few things and it is now a dinner staple at our house.

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli

• 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 2 Cups Minute Rice
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Bunch Broccoli Florets, Steamed
• 4 oz Velveeta Cheese, sliced thin
• Ritz Crackers
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350*. Rinse chicken breast and pat dry with paper towels. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season raw chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Bake chicken at 350* until no longer pink. Pour off the chicken juices from the pan and set aside. Allow chicken to cool and then shred.

Measure the juices that you poured from the pan. Add enough chicken broth to juices to equal 2 cups. Bring broth to a boil, add rice, turn off heat, and cover until done (about 5 minutes). Uncover rice, fluff, and add soup, sour cream and milk.

Butter a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Scoop rice mixture into dish and spread evenly. Then, top the rice with layers as follows: chicken, broccoli, Velveeta, and Ritz crackers. Dot the top of the cracker layer with small pats of  butter.

Bake at 350* for 35 - 40 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown and the center is hot.

This casserole can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated until needed. It also warms up really well for left overs. Play around with the recipe as you like, it's very flexible. I make it sometimes without the cheese or with cheddar cheese. You can use other cream soups if you prefer another over Cream of Mushroom. If you're not a lover of sour cream, just add a second can of cream soup and omit the sour cream. 

~ yum