Recipe of the Week

Perhaps a more appropriate title for this post would be 'Recipe of the Month', or better yet, 'Recipe of the Century' since the last time I posted a 'Recipe of the Week' was October 27th! And even now I'm going to cheat against my own rules and post a recipe that I didn't even create! I found this on VeryBestBaking.com several months ago, and it's quickly becoming a family favorite. Chloe even loves it, which is a HUGE plus! Try it out for yourself and tell me what you think!

Zesty Chicken and Rice Casserole
Prep: 20 min.; Cooking: 1 hr.
Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 T. butter
3 cups cooked, chopped (and seasoned to your liking) chicken breast meat (2 large breast halves should do it)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 large eggs, slightly beaten (don't let this ingredient prevent you from trying this - the egg is subtle, if even noticeable - all it does is solidify the casserole)
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole dish (I use an 11x13)
2) Bring water an bouillon to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and butter; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed.
3) Combine prepared rice, chicken, cheese, evaporated milk, onion, eggs and cilantro in large mixing bowl; stir well. Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish.
4) Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and edges are golden.

A few tips from the chef:
**A nice addition to this recipe is chopped ham. If I remember right, the very first time I made this I had leftover honey baked ham from Easter and it fit right in with the other ingredients!
**I always sprinkle some cayenne pepper over the top prior to baking.
**Fruit salad makes a great side dish!

This recipe has 391 reviews and an average rating of five stars. Always encouraging! Give it a try!