Chicken and Rice Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°

In your large frying pan over medium-low heat:

• Saute one diced onion  in 4 Tbs of butter until it’s soft. (this will take about 10 min)  The onion will begin to smell sweet!

 4 Tbs is a 1/2 cube, note the little marks on the paper butter wrapper that show tablespoons

Add

• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Cook for 3 min. (cooking the spices  makes their flavors bloom)

Add

• 2 more Tb of butter to the onion and spice saute.  Melt, then add
• 3 Tbs of flour

Stir in thoroughly with a wire whisk and cook for 5-6 min.

Add

•  1 cup of milk and cook another 5-8 min until the mixture has thickened a bit.

If you don’t cook it long enough you’ll taste the flour!

Then Add

• the drained can of mushrooms and
• frozen zucchini zoodles (use the whole 12 oz. bag) The zucchini will add a subtle sweetness in addition to great nutrition.
• 1 pint sour cream
• 2 cups of uncooked rice
• 1 qt. box of chicken stock or a quart of your homemade stock.

It will look runny, but remember the rice will absorb the moisture.

Stir it all together.

Pour the veggie/rice mixture into a greased 9x13 pan

1. Place the 8/chicken thighs (if you froze the chicken it must be thawed) on top of the casserole, nesting them down a bit into the rice mixture.
2. Cover with foil.
3. Bake for 1 hour at 350°.
4. Remove the foil after an hour and check the rice to see if it’s done.
5. If not, cook another 10 minutes without the foil.

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