Recipe of the Week

Okay, so this recipe I did create all by myself! Great comfort food, especially for this time of year.

Chicken and Harvest Rice Casserole (doesn't that sound Fallish?)

Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 45 minutes
Goes well with: Vegetables such as glazed carrots, green beans, or even a green salad. Crescent rolls make another great addition.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup uncooked Garden Harvest Rice (see picture below)
2 chicken bouillons
1 T. butter
2 eggs
2 T. milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
dash of cayenne pepper and seasoned or garlic salt, if desired
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup french fried onions
2 sheets of wax paper
Canola oil

Directions:
1) Bring 2 1/4 cups water and 2 chicken bouillons to boil in medium saucepan. Add 1 cup Garden Harvest Rice and 1 T. butter. Cover and turn heat to low. You will want the rice to cook approximately 20 minutes, but you can move on to step 2 once you've turned the heat to low (just keep track of time).
2) Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with meat tenderizer until chicken breasts are about 1 cm. thick. Slice into 6 even pieces (to the best of your ability).
2) In a pie dish or shallow bowl combine eggs and 2 tbsp. milk. Whisk with fork. In another pie dish or shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings (if desired). Mix until well-blended.
3) An electric skillet makes this next step much easier. If you have one, turn the temperature to 350 degrees (or medium heat). Otherwise a large frying pan will work just fine (turn to medium heat). Pour enough Canola oil into the skillet/pan to coat the bottom. It should take 4-5 minutes for oil to get hot enough.
4) Place individual chicken pieces into egg/mixture until well-coated. Then place into bread crumbs mixture until well-coated. Transfer to skillet. Cook on each side approximately 1 minute, or until slightly browned (it may not even take that long. And don't be concerned if the chicken doesn't seem cooked all the way through. It's gonna bake another 20 minutes in the oven).
5) By the time the chicken is finished, the rice should also be. Transfer the rice to a 9x13 inch casserole dish and spread evenly over bottom. Place chicken on top of rice in an even layer (it should pretty much cover up the rice).
6) In a bowl, combine Cream of Mushroom soup and 1/3 cup milk. Stir until well-blended. Then pour over chicken and rice. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over soup mixture, and sprinkle french fried onions over cheese.
7) Bake at 350, uncovered for 20 minutes.


* Walmart and Costco carry Garden Harvest Rice. If for some reason you can't find it, just use enough traditional long grain rice to make about 2 1/2 cups cooked.
* Also, if the rice is still a little watery after 20 minutes of cooking, transfer it over to the casserole dish anyway. Whatever liquid is left will absorb during those 20 minutes in the oven.