14 ozbox of Farmhouse Long Grain & Wild Riceor your favorite brand, prepared according to instructions
2tbspbutter or olive oildivided
½onion
1lbmushrooms, quartered
1stalk of celery, diced
1cupof broccoli florets
2cooked chicken breastscubed (I use leftover roasted chicken meat)
110 ¾ ozcan of Cream of Chicken soup
110 ¾ oz can of Cream of Celery soup
½-¾cupmayonnaiseto taste
16 ozcan of sliced water chestnuts, drained & diced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Topping Ingredient Options (optional):
Crispy fried onions
Ritz crackerscrushed
Panko crumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the box of rice according to the package instructions in a small saucepan, and set aside to cool until needed.
In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter or oil and cook the mushrooms until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside until needed.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter or oil to the large skillet and cook the onions and celery, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Using a steamer, steam the broccoli until fork-tender, then set it aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, mushrooms, onion, celery, broccoli, chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, water chestnuts, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together and mix well.
Pour into a baking dish and heat uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.
Side Note:For added decadence and/or texture, top the casserole with French's crispy fried onions, crushed Ritz crackers, or panko crumbs after the first 15 minutes of baking. Continue baking for the remaining 15 minutes.