Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I found this recipe on the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Yummy!! You have to make this!

I went out shopping so I printed this recipe off and handed it to Jeff to make and have ready when I got home:) Bless his heart. He said it went together quickly and was easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh broccoli. Break into pieces and steam for 2 minutes

3 cups cooked chicken breasts broken into small pieces

3 cups grated cheddar cheese divided

2 tubes Ritz Crackers

1 stick melted butter

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c COLD water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups of the above cheddar cheese

Directions:

In greased 13x9 pan layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low and add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.

Melt the butter and add the poppy seeds. Stir well. Crush the Ritz crackers in a large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don't crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

**This was SO super good! My kids gobbled it up in no time! The sauce is like a cheese sauce but not too liquidy or overwhelming. I left out the poppy seeds because they freak my kids out. I like this recipe because it is a casserole without cream of something soup!! It makes me feel like there is less sodium:) Also, if you used less cornstarch and didn't make the sauce so thick I bet it would make a good cheese sauce for potatoes or veggies.

Spinach and Rice Casserole

I got this yummy recipe from eatbetteramerica.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 boxes (9 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and soup; heat to boiling. Add spinach, rice, Italian seasoning and pepper; return to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in ham, 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spread in baking dish. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Let stand uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was delicious! I had two 12 oz packages of spinach that I used because it was what I had. I also omitted the celery(gross!). Plus my family is a cheesy family so I put on more than the recipe suggested.
The website also gave this tip...For this recipe, be sure to use instant brown rice. Regular brown rice requires a different amount of liquid and takes longer to cook.
However I have a ginormous bag of brown rice that I got from Costco that will go bad if we don't start eating it so I think next time I may attempt to use less water and use precooked brown rice, it may not turn out but its worth a shot.