Brown Rice Broccoli Chicken Cheese Bake

By hmorris31

The Domestic Lady

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Pounds fresh broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces (frozen broccoli works too, just cook to your liking and then drain very well).
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 Cup flour
• 1 Cup chicken stock
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tsp pepper
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Cup cheddar cheese. shredded (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
• 1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
• 2-3 Cups cooked brown rice
• 2 Cups cooked chicken, cubed

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Place broccoli in a microwave safe container with 1/4 inch of water. Cover and microwave for 3-4 minutes on high. Drain the broccoli immediately and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain completely.

3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

4. Add chopped onion to the skillet and saute for 3 minutes, then add garlic and continue to saute for another minute.

5. Add the flour to the hot skillet, mix with the onion and garlic, and continue stirring constantly for 1 minute. Pour the chicken stock and milk into the skillet. Allow the sauce to thicken for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

6. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add mustard, black pepper, salt, and the cheeses. When the cheeses have melted into the sauce, add the broccoli and mix well. Set aside.

7. Grease a casserole dish and layer cooked rice and then the chicken. Pour the broccoli sauce mixture over the top of the chicken.

8. Option 1: Top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheddar, cover and bake for 25 minutes at 375F. Remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes until the top starts to brown slightly. If the dish seems dry sprinkle with a little water before baking.

9. Option 2: This makes a great make ahead dish. You can refrigerate it up to two days before baking it or freeze it up to a month. Let it thaw completely before following the instructions in option 1.