Cheesy Chicken Casserole

I have decided to post a budget friendly meal from my childhood. Growing up as the primary cook in my family, I learned how to make delicious food with a very tight budget that allowed me to feed everyone and stretch my family dollars.

This budget friendly meal comes from real world experience. Though this meal is a recipe I cooked during my childhood and adolescence, it is still fairly healthy and contains the macronutrients needed to sustain you through your day. I have served this meal to multiple friends and family members, including my nieces and nephews who loved it. I hope that you enjoy this budget friendly meal.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole (serves family of 4)

4 cups of chopped, fresh broccoli crowns OR frozen broccoli, thawed and drained 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, chopped 1/4 cup of milk or unsweetened/unflavored milk alternative** 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth OR vegetable broth 1 can low sodium Cream of Chicken soup 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2/3 cup of dry brown rice; cooked according to instructions and set aside* salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8x8 oven safe pan with oil. Add chopped broccoli to the bottom of the pan. Chop the chicken into large chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of the broccoli in the pan. In a bowl, whisk together Cream of chicken soup, milk, broth, and minced garlic. Pour mixture over chicken and broccoli, being sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape out excess soup mix onto the chicken. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove chicken from oven and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Place back in oven for additional 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve over cooked rice. Make sure internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 F before serving. Serves 4.

* For rice, I use brown rice because it revs up the metabolism and is high in fiber. However, wild rice or a non white rice blend is also ok to use. About 2/3 cup of brown rice yields about 2 cups of cooked rice. One serving of rice is about 1/2 cup per person. If making brown rice or wild rice, start cooking the rice at the beginning of the meal, before doing anything else because it takes about 45 minutes to cook via stove top. **I do not recommend coconut milk as a milk alternative for this dish because the coconut flavor comes through.