Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole

I purchased some chicken hind quarters for 99¢ a pound this week and I made a chicken and rice casserole last night for supper.  You can make this with chicken breasts but they cost more.  I have been making this casserole for years.  I have turned into a real rice lover.  I’ll pick rice before potatoes if given the choice.  This is a super simple recipe using canned soup.  

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cup chicken broth

1 cup uncooked brown rice or white rice (Not the minute rice)

½ tsp. garlic powder

Pepper to taste

1 tsp. onion powder

2 hind quarters of chicken

Paprika 

Chicken Broth

2 carrots

2 stalks of celery

2 chicken hind quarters (the full leg and thigh)

Water to completely cover the chicken

An onion cut in half

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

To make your broth, boil your hind quarters in water with an onion, 2 cut up carrots and celery stalks. Make sure everything is completely covered with water. Add two bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper.  You want bone in chicken.  You can do the chicken breasts if you like, but the legs and thighs have more flavor and are cheaper.  Boil until the chicken is done.  Pull your chicken and set aside.   You’ll also be using the broth for the chicken.  You will have extra for the next time you need chicken broth. I ended up with 2 quarts.  You can buy the broth, but you have to cook the chicken so you are making broth anyway.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a large casserole (that has a lid).  You are saving dishes by combining the mushroom soup, chicken soup, broth, rice, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper in the casserole dish.  Add the picked chicken and mix all together.  Sprinkle the top with paprika.

Put your lid on and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until the rice is completely cooked.  If you do not have a large casserole dish you can use a 9 X 13 inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Brown rice will take 1 hour.  White rice may not take as long.  Test after 1 hour.  I like the texture, taste and nutrition of brown rice.

Variation – If you like those French Fried Onion Rings you use for green bean casserole, try putting them on top of this casserole.  Wait until it is done and then put on top of the casserole and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.  Put the lid back on the casserole while finishing it off.

Want a cheesy casserole?  You can add some grated cheddar cheese or a can of cheese soup or cheesy broccoli soup.  

Replace the cream of chicken soup with the cheese soup. 

Replace the mushroom soup with the broccoli soup.

Add some chopped carrot for a little color or a small can of mushrooms.

  

I’ll be eating this for quite a few meals.  I’ll be back when it is gone with another dish. 

Have a great couple of days, be happy and may God bless you and yours.